Look Forward holds off Artisma in Santa Ynez

Jan 05, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Reddam Racing’s Look Forward gamely staved off the late rally of Artisma in Sunday’s $101,500 Santa Ynez S. on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks. The favorite kept her head in front at the wire of the seven-furlong sprint at Santa Anita to add 10 points to her account, for a total of 15.

Trained by Michael McCarthy and ridden by Mario Gutierrez, Look Forward was coming off a runner-up effort in a 1 1/16-mile scoring race, the Starlet (G2) at Los Alamitos. The daughter of Bolt d’Oro got the job done on the cutback here, albeit in a photo, and an ideal distance is yet to be determined for the inexperienced filly.

Look Forward was settled in third early as front-running Silent Law rattled off fractions of :22.14 and :44.98. Turning for home, the 17-10 favorite ranged up to challenge, but still raced a bit greenly before taking over in the stretch.

Yet a bigger threat was emerging wider out in the 10-1 shot Artisma, who was leveling off purposefully and gaining with every stride. She appeared to have the momentum, until Look Forward found just enough in the final strides to hang on.

Look Forward needed 13.96 seconds to complete her seventh furlong, resulting in a slow final time of 1:25.42.

“Like everything this was a first-time experience for her,” Gutierrez said. “From her first time out, to the second time stretching her out, and this time taking her back down to seven furlongs, so everything is kind of new to her. In the beginning I didn’t know if she knew when it was time to race, but once I asked her to engage, everything was fine.”

Look Forward earns 10 points on the Road to the Kentucky Oaks in the Santa Ynez Stakes! 🌸 pic.twitter.com/oxcDp4vVxy

— Kentucky Derby (@KentuckyDerby) January 5, 2025

Artisma, fresh off her debut maiden score at Del Mar, banked five points. Silent Law tired to third (three points), another 4 1/4 lengths back. Howin got up for fourth (two points), and A. Z. Wildcat checked in fifth (one point). Practical Dream and Polythene Pam concluded the order of finish. Mawu, who trailed throughout after a slow start, was eased and walked off the track.

Look Forward is now 2-for-3 with earnings of $132,400. Initially trained by the late Ben Cecil, the bay won her premiere at Del Mar Nov. 8. She turned out to be a poignant last winner for Cecil before he passed away from cancer. Look Forward then moved to the McCarthy barn for her stakes and two-turn debut in the Starlet, where she engaged in a protracted duel with Tenma and succumbed grudgingly.

“I think it is late in the winter here, in early spring, you start thinking about the Kentucky Oaks (G1),” McCarthy said. “Who knows how far she will run; obviously with her run the other day at Los Al, you would think that she would stretch out. I think once she does do that, she will be able to find herself in in a comfortable spot.

“I’m just thankful to (owner) Paul Reddam for moving this horse over to us,” added McCarthy, who early in his career worked for Cecil.

“Ben and his crew did all the heavy lifting.”

A $285,000 Keeneland September yearling purchase, Look Forward was bred by Woods Edge Farm and Ballyfair Bloodstock in Kentucky. She is out of the Into Mischief mare Troublesome, who is also responsible for the multiple stakes victress and Grade 3-placed sprinter Amidst Waves.

Reddam noted that it was a twist of fate that kept Look Forward from being resold.

“This is a horse we had with Ciaran Dunne,” Reddam said, referring to the proprietor of Wavertree Stables who is a longtime fixture on the juvenile sales scene.

“We were going to sell her at the two-year-old training sale and she had a little injury, so we had to scratch that. I said, ‘You know what?  We will just keep her.’

“Ciaran said that ‘it might be the best filly that you had,’ so we took a chance.”