Santa Anita: Explora much the best in Saturday's Santa Ynez
After biding her time in last down the backstretch, odds-on favorite Explora was roused by jockey Juan Hernandez on the turn and responded in a big way, blowing past her rivals and cruising to a 5 1/4-length victory Saturday in the $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita.
Hernandez rode the winner for trainer Bob Baffert in the seven-furlong race for 3-year-old fillies. The stakes awarded 10-5-3-2-1 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points to the top five finishers.
La Wally (8-1), wearing blinkers for the first time, and Himika (13-1) hooked up in a head-to-head duel through opening fractions of 22.30 and 44.21 seconds. Revera (16-1) stalked the top pair from off the rail as Explora (1-9) trailed the field by several lengths.
Baffert, who also trains Himika, acknowledged from the winner's circle he had a slight bit of concern down the backstretch.
"It looked like maybe she was not running," Baffert said. "I was hoping to get an easy lead with Himika. She wants to run on the lead, but they were pressing her hard the whole way."
Explora launched her bid four wide on the far turn and challenged the top pair entering the stretch through three-quarters in 1:09.27. She drew clear at the eighth pole and was in hand approaching the wire, completing the seven furlongs in 1:22.05 on the fast main track.
"All of a sudden when (Hernandez) had her geared up, you can see that she was taking off," Baffert said. "It's nice after the Breeders' Cup. She came back and she is back in form. It's going to be two turns from here to the rest of her life."
La Wally, ridden by Umberto Rispoli for trainer Mark Glatt, finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Revera. Himika checked in fourth. Following the scratch of Bottle of Rouge, also trained by Baffert, there was no show wagering. Explora paid $2.10 and $2.10, and La Wally returned $2.60 to place.
A daughter of Blame out of the Bernardini mare Collections Choice, Explora was purchased for $350,000 at the 2025 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic sale of 2-year-olds in training. Bred in Kentucky by Mesingw Farm and owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, she improved her record to 5: 3-2-0 with more than $625,000 in earnings.
In the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) going 1 1/16 miles at Del Mar on Oct. 31, Explora finished three-quarters of a length behind Santa Anita-based winner Super Corredora.