How to bet the 2025 Santa Ynez Stakes

A strong cast of eight sophomore fillies will vie in Sunday’s $100,000 Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita. I think that the majority of ladies in the field can come out on top in the well-matched affair and will seek value with my plays. 

Santa Ynez Wagers

• $15 win and place #8 Artisma ($30)
• $2 trifecta 8 with 5,7 with all ($24)

The Richard Baltas-trained #8 Artisma ran down a clear leader to break her maiden at first asking at Del Mar in November, and I’m intrigued by the daughter of Munnings most in this spot. Sent postward at 8-1 odds in her unveiling, the dark bay lass broke alertly in the dash and tracked the pace from third, prior to delivering a strong late burst to finish more than two lengths clear. She moves to seven-eighths on Sunday, which will not be a problem for her, and the Kentucky-bred also gets a good draw on the outside of the group that matches her running style well, too. 

Artisma was a $185,000 purchase as a juvenile and appears to be well worth the investment. The top pick has posted four morning drills in anticipation of her stakes bow led by a swift five-furlong move most recently, and I expect her to track a fast pace before commencing her winning bid nearing the turn for home. Abel Lezcano retains the ride. 

Starlet S. (G2) runner-up #5 Look Forward hasn’t done much wrong from a pair of lifetime runs to date and is a top-three must-use in my opinion. The Bolt d’Oro filly was a winner at first asking in a six-furlong maiden special weight at Del Mar on Nov. 8, and she proved that she was no fluke when a fine second at Los Alamitos most recently when finishing nine lengths ahead of the talented Vodka With a Twist, who had been second best in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) in her prior appearance. 

Look Forward makes her second run since moving to the barn of Michael McCarthy and will cut back in distance for this endeavor. The $285,000 yearling purchase blitzed a bullet half-mile on the surface in advance of her second stakes encounter, and the Reddam Racing color-bearer looms large with anything resembling her latest showing. Regular pilot Mario Gutierrez will be in the silks once again. 

#7 Silent Law, one of three contenders in the field for Bob Baffert, is the potential pace of the race and wouldn’t be a major surprise under go-to pilot Juan Hernandez. The $400,000 daughter of sharp young sire Tiz the Law wired the Anoakia S. on the strip two back and comes off a runner-up performance in the Desi Arnaz S. at Del Mar. The Kentucky-bred sophomore has performed well in all three of her outings to date and will make the frame with her best showing.