How to bet the 2024 Santa Ynez Stakes

A total of five newly turned three-year-old fillies will jaunt seven panels on the Santa Anita main surface in Sunday’s $100,000 Santa Ynez S. (G3). The Richard Mandella-trained #1 Kopion was bet to 3-10 odds at first asking and lived up to the hype at Del Mar, when streaking home to a decisive, 3 3/4-length win on debut. The $270,000 daughter of Omaha Beach has posted four nice morning drills in the interim, and I fully expect her to move her lifetime line to 2-for-2 following this dash.

Santa Ynez Wagers

• $40 exacta 1 with 2 ($40)
  $10 exacta 2 with 1 ($10)

The Spendthrift Farm color bearer is a half-sister to a Canadian champion, as well as two additional stakes winners, and she looked the part during her unveiling when coming home fast while under minimal urging in the stretch. The Kentucky-bred will appreciate the added ground with which to work with in the affair, and while the rail post is a bit of a concern, she still looms a menacing figure while making her initial stakes attempt. Flavien Prat retains the mount atop the fine prospect.

Former claimer #2 Tambo has finished first or second in each of her four lifetime runs on the dirt and steadily improved during her juvenile season for conditioner Peter Eurton. By Enticed, the $70,000 two-year-old purchase came home second best in the Anoakia S. two back while making her local debut, and she followed that up with a game runner-up performance in the Desi Arnaz S. at Del Mar in her latest performance. 

Tambo is equipped with good natural foot early on, but she impressed me a lot when staying on late after chasing lone speed in her most recent endeavor when missing by just a nose under the wire. The Kentucky-bred bay comes in fresh with four useful morning drills on the course in advance of Sunday, and the contender could surely find herself on the front end early in this spot due to a lack of early zip in the cast overall. Antonio Fresu will retain the ride atop the ascending sophomore.