Kentucky Oaks prep: Look Forward is favored in Santa Ynez
Look Forward, cutting back to seven furlongs for her second stakes try, is the 2-1 morning-line favorite for Sunday’s listed $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes, a point-paying prep for the Kentucky Oaks (G1).
After a debut win sprinting six furlongs at Del Mar in early November, Look Forward was stretched to 1 1/16 miles for the Starlet (G2) on Dec. 7 at Los Alamitos. The daughter of Bolt d’Oro dueled on the lead with Grade 1 winner Tenma through moderate fractions before giving way inside the the final furlong. Look Forward finished 1 3/4 lengths in back of Tenma, who is trained by Bob Baffert.
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Reddam Racing’s Look Forward has returned with two good works, which included a bullet, four-furlong drill in 47.8 seconds last Sunday. She will be ridden by Mario Gutiérrez, who was aboard for both the Starlet and her debut win. Look Forward drew post 5 in the field of eight 3-year-old fillies.
Although Tenma was not entered back in the Santa Ynez, Look Forward still will have three Baffert-trained fillies to face. The Hall of Fame trainer will saddle Silent Law (9-2), Howin (8-1) and Mawu (12-1).
Silent Law, by Tiz the Law, won her first two starts in the fall including the six-furlong Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 25. She returned in the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz at Del Mar, where she was bet down to the 1-2 favorite on Nov. 16 and finished second.
Silent Law broke in front in the Desi Arnaz but was challenged quickly to her inside by Practical Dream, who also returns in the Santa Ynez for trainer Tim Yakteen. Practical Dream and jockey Antonio Fresu got past Silent Law at about the half-mile pole and it was over from there. Silent Law chased Practical Dream the rest of the way before finishing 1 1/4 lengths behind.
“That was sort of a disappointing out by her,” Baffert said. “She had beat that horse before. I don’t know what happened that day. She just didn’t bring her A game, but we know she likes Santa Anita, and she’s come back to work well. We’ll see what happens.
Howin, a debut winner going a mile at Santa Anita in October, and Mawu, who was sixth in the Starlet, both cut back to one turn. Baffert said he envisions both as being two-turn competitors.
“I need to get races into these fillies,” he said. “Mawu, she wants to go two turns, but she was a little heavy when she ran at Los Alamitos, and I want to get her another out.”
Mawu, a daughter of Blame, will be ridden in the Santa Ynez by Mike Smith for the first time. She finished third in the Desi Arnaz in her previous sprint effort, two lengths behind Practical Dream.
Howin is a daughter of Gun Runner who will have Kazushi Kimura aboard for the first time. In her debut she dueled on the pace and kicked clear to win by 3 3/4 lengths.
“She’ll be better going two turns, but she needs to run,” Baffert said.
The top five finishers in the Santa Ynez will get 10-5-3-2-1 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs.
Downgraded this year from a Grade 3, the Santa Ynez is the traditional first step on the road to the Santa Anita Derby (G2) on April 5. It goes as the seventh of 10 races Sunday at about 5:36 p.m. EST. The first post is at 2:30 p.m. EST.