Look Forward shortens up in Santa Ynez

Jan 02, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Starlet (G2) runner-up Look Forward will take on a trio of Bob Baffert fillies in Sunday’s $100,000 Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita.

The seven-furlong sprint is the last of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks scoring races to allocate points on the 10-5-3-2-1 format, as the preps will be worth more going forward.

Look Forward, who was just worn down late in the 1 1/16-mile Starlet at Los Alamitos, should enjoy shortening up for trainer Michael McCarthy. The daughter of Bolt d’Oro, and half-sister to multiple stakes-winning sprinter Amidst Waves, scored a front-running debut victory at Del Mar over six furlongs. Regular rider Mario Gutierrez will be back aboard the Reddam Racing color-bearer.

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Two of Look Forward’s well-beaten foes from the Starlet, fourth-placer Mawu and sixth Practical Dream, also have claims to prefer reverting in distance.

Mawu, one of the Baffert squad, had won at first asking in a six-furlong dash at Santa Anita. She was subsequently third in Del Mar’s Desi Arnaz S. at this trip to the Tim Yakteen-trained Practical Dream and Baffert stablemate Silent Law.

While Mawu and Practical Dream both tried to stretch out in the Dec. 7 Starlet, Silent Law has not raced since the Nov. 16 Desi Arnaz. The Tiz the Law filly keeps jockey Juan Hernandez, who also guided her to a 10-length debut romp at Los Alamitos and to an impressive wire job in the Oct. 25 Anoakia S. here.

Mawu’s owner, the Baoma Corp., has another of Baffert’s hopes in Howin. The $550,000 Keeneland September yearling by Gun Runner rolled by 3 3/4 lengths in her Santa Anita premiere going a mile. Kazushi Kimura picks up the mount on Howin, and Mike Smith takes the call aboard stablemate Mawu.

Baffert has won the Santa Ynez a total of seven times so far, most significantly with champion Indian Blessing (2008).

Jockey Flavien Prat is a five-time Santa Ynez winner, including the past three years in a row, and he’ll try to add another with A.Z. Wildcat. Trained by John Sadler for Hronis Racing, A.Z. Wildcat has not raced since her victorious debut at Los Alamitos on June 30.

The two remaining entrants are also taking a class hike off first-out maiden wins.

Artisma, a sharp winner over 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar, represents Richard Baltas, who captured the 2016 Santa Ynez with Forever Darling – the dam (mother) of Japan’s Kentucky Derby (G1) near-misser Forever Young.

Polythene Pam just got her career started on Dec. 14, rallying from off the pace at Los Alamitos for Librado Barocio.

The seventh race on Sunday’s card, the Santa Ynez is slated for 5:30 p.m. ET, and you can watch and wager at TwinSpires.com.