Santa Ynez Stakes 2017: Odds and Picks
Sunday’s $200,000 Grade 2 Santa Ynez kicks off the 2017 prep races for the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks. Nine newly turned three-year-old fillies are entered in the seven-furlong test on Santa Anita’s main track. Points for a Kentucky Oaks spot are awarded on a 10-4-2-1 basis to the top four finishers.
In a field where Brian Zipse, from Zipse at the Track, thinks at least five of the fillies have the potential to be Grade 1 types, he will be picking an upset by second time starter Princess Karen for trainer Jeff Bonde.
Below is the full field and projected odds for the Santa Ynez, as seen on the HRN Stakes Tracker.
Unique Bella, coming off an impressive maiden victory in her second start, has shown enough promise to move into graded stakes company. The daughter of leading sire Tapit led every step of her 10 ¼ length romp at Del Mar. Unique Bella has the same trainer and jockey combination as champion filly Songbird, the successful duo of Jerry Hollendorfer and Mike Smith.
Hailing from the Doug O’Neill barn, Shane’s Girlfriend also comes into the Santa Ynez off a romping victory. After breaking her maiden at first asking, she tore away from the Grade 3 Delta Downs Princess field to win by 13 ¼ lengths.
Noted and Quoted was highly regarded during her two-year-old year. The Bob Baffert-trained filly broke her maiden second time out and ran fourth in the Grade 1 Debutante before winning the Grade 1 Chandelier. She came back to finish seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.
Princess Karen, who will be looking to upset the field, enters the Santa Ynez off her lone start back in October where she broke her maiden over Sandy’s Surprise and Go On Mary, also maiden winners. Resilient Humor, Carrie and It Tiz Well round out the Santa Ynez field with maiden victories to their name.
By Christine Oser