By Jarrod Horak
This post features analysis of the Grade 3 Santa Ynez Stakes and Grade 2 San Vicente Stakes at Santa Anita Park.
Santa Ynez field:
1 – Himika (5-1)
2 – La Wally (8-1)
3 – Bottle of Rouge (7-2)
4 – Revera (6-1)
5 – Explora (3-5)
The Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ynez is for 3-year-old fillies traveling seven furlongs on the main track. It is the third race on Jan. 10 and the scheduled post time is 4:00 PM ET. This is a Kentucky Oaks 2026 points race.
Santa Ynez Stakes Analysis
Himika easily won her first two dirt sprints as the favorite under Juan Hernandez including the Grade 3 Sorrento. She showed distance limitations in the Del Mar Debutante (G2) and Oak Leaf (G2) and Bob Baffert’s $900k Curlin filly turned back and easily handled Revera in the Anoakia on Oct. 19. Last time, Revera beat her by 3/4ths of a length in the Desi Arnaz Stakes. She has yet to win beyond six panels.
La Wally stalked the pace and got up by a nose in her 5 1/2 furlong debut at 6-1 odds on July 19. Mark Glatt’s $300k Constitution filly was 10-1 in the Del Mar Debutante (G1) at seven panels on Sept. 6 and she rallied to miss the place by a half-length, and she was more than seven lengths clear of the rest. She ran on for the place while no match for Explora in the Oak Leaf (G2), and she chased and weakened in the BC Juvenile Fillies (G1) last time. She turns back in distance.
Bottle of Rouge was no match for her stablemate Himika in a runner-up finish in her local sprint debut. She was 6-1 that day and they bet her down to even money in a special weight sprint at Del Mar on Aug. 9, and she dueled and kicked away to win by 6 3/4 lengths (runner-up Super Corredora next-out winner). She was the forgotten Bob Baffert runner at 9-1 odds in the Grade 1 Debutante and she won by a length over her stablemate and subsequent Oak Leaf winner Explora. She was 6-1 in the BC Juvenile Fillies and she was an even 6th of 9 (beaten 5 1/2 lengths). She drilled a local bullet for this on Dec. 20 (best of 76). Her winning rider Mike Smith should have her in a nice tactical spot.
Revera was part of the exacta in all four starts. She dueled on the lead and was no match for Himika in the local Anoakia in October, and she turned the tables on that foe from a more comfortable post position in the Desi Arnaz at seven panels in November. The outer draw will probably help her chances in this spot.
Explora was 20 cents on the dollar in her sprint bow at Del Mar on Aug. 17 and she made the lead and won easily by more than four lengths, and clear runner-up Revera was a next-out winner. Bob Baffert’s $350k Blame filly was the favorite in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante last time and she set a pressured pace from the inside post and held the place over La Wally. She removed blinkers and stretched out in the Oak Leaf (G2), and she stalked the pace and dusted La Wally and La Ville Lumiere. She chased Super Corredora and was second best as the beaten favorite in the BC Juvenile Fillies (G1) last time. She turns back and should have every advantage from the outside post.
San Vicente Stakes field:
1 – Greenwich Village (5-1)
2 – So Happy (3-1)
3 – Buetane (6-5)
4 – Acknowledgemeplz (5-2)
5 – Thirsty Rebel (8-1)
The Grade 2, $200,000 San Vicente Stakes is for 3-year-olds traveling seven furlongs on the main track. It is the 5th race on Jan. 10 with a scheduled post time of 5:00 PM ET.
San Vicente Stakes Analysis
Greenwich Village battled on the pace and graduated by 3/4ths of a length in his sprint debut at Los Al on Dec. 6 and clear runner-up Easy Company returned to finish last of 5 on Jan. 9. Bob Baffert’s $350k Quality Road colt sports four local moves for this and should be forwardly placed from the inside post.
So Happy was a 38-1 longshot in his debut at Del Mar on Nov. 22 and he stalked from an outer draw and won by 3/4ths of a length, and clear runner-up Winston Ave returned to finish a flat fourth from the inside post as the beaten favorite on Dec. 28.
Buetane was bet like a sure thing in his Del Mar debut and the $1.15 million Tiz the Law colt delivered with a strong pressing victory. Bob Baffert’s colt shipped to Saratoga for the Grade 1 Hopeful on Sept. 1 and he stalked the pace as the favorite and was no match for likely 2-year-old champ Ted Noffey. He drilled local bullets on Nov. 10, Dec. 1, and Dec. 14, and he reunites with his winning rider Juan Hernandez.
Acknowledgemeplz set a pressured pace and split a pair of next-out winners in his local bow in June, and this one set the pace and beat clear runner-up Blacksmith in a fast local special weight sprint second time out (October 2025). He stretched out, chased the pace, and was 4th of 5 (beaten 16 lengths) in the Grade 2 Los Al Futurity at 1 1/16 miles on Dec. 13. He adds blinkers, turns back, and should impact the pace under his new rider Kazushi Kimura.
Thirsty Rebel is a California-bred colt exiting a fast, romping state bred dirt sprint win at Los Al. His best efforts were at five furlongs, 5 1/2 furlongs, and six furlongs, and he pressed and ended up 4th of 10 (beaten 4 lengths) in his lone start at this distance in the Golden State Juvenile.
Santa Ynez + San Vicente Video