Santa Anita Stable Notes Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026

STABLE NOTES BY VICTOR RYAN

BUETANE BACK IN GII SAN VICENTE; EXPLORA LOOMS IN SANTA YNEZ

The roads to both the GI Santa Anita Derby and GII Santa Anita Oaks get underway Saturday with the Grade II San Vicente for 3-year-olds and Santa Ynez Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, both at seven furlongs. As is usually the case in Santa Anita’s 3-year-old dirt stakes, both races go through Bob Baffert.

In the San Vicente, Baffert will saddle both morning line favorite Buetane (6-5) and recent maiden winner Greenwich Village, who is 5-1 on the morning line. In the Santa Ynez, Baffert will send out Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies runner-up Explora, the 3-5 favorite; Grade I winner Bottle of Rouge (7-2) and multiple stakes winner Himika (5-1).

Buetane, returns in the San Vicente following a four-plus month layoff. By Tiz the Law, Buetane was purchased for $1.15 million by owner Zedan Racing Stable at last year’s OBS April sale of 2-year-olds in training. He debuted going six furlongs at Del Mar in August and promptly rolled to a 3 ½-length victory.

Buetane then was sent cross-country to contest the Grade I Hopeful going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Sept. 1. He stalked the leaders in mid-pack before proving second-best to Ted Noffey, who would go on to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile to lock up champion 2-year-old male honors.

“He got beat by a really good horse,” Baffert said.

While Buetane returned to work following the Hopeful, Baffert elected to bypass the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile. In the interim, Buetane’s worked 11 times since the end of October at Santa Anita. Baffert’s only Juvenile runner, Brant, finished third by 1 ½ lengths.

“I didn’t feel good about running him in the Breeders’ Cup—I had Brant and figured I didn’t need him,” Baffert said.

“(Buetane’s) training really well. I think he should run well. We freshened him up.”

Greenwich Village exits a debut win going 6 ½ furlongs at Los Alamitos on Dec. 6. He dueled on the lead that day and then dug in late to prevail by a half-length.

“He’s fast,” Baffert said. “His race was impressive. He wasn’t really ready to run and still won. I think every race will move him up considerably.”

Greenwich Village, by Quality Road, was purchased for $350,000 as a yearling by co-owners SF Racing, Starlight Racing and Madaket Stables.

The San Vicente goes as the fifth race on a 10-race card Sunday. First post is 12 p.m. PT and the San Vicente will go around 2 p.m. The field in post position order: Greenwich Village, Hector Berrios (5-1); So Happy, Mike Smith (3-1); Buetane, Juan Hernandez (6-5); Acknowledgemeplz, Kazushi Kimura (5-2); Thirsty Rebel, Abel Lezcano (8-1).

In the Santa Ynez, Explora cuts back in distance following her second-place finish in the 1 1/16-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar on Oct. 31. Baffert had intended to run her in the GII Golden Road on Nov. 29 at Churchill Downs but “she had a little setback.

“She’s doing well now. I like the seven-eighths. We’re trying to get her to the Kentucky Oaks,” Baffert said.

The Santa Ynez is an official prep for the Kentucky Oaks with qualifying points awarded to the top finishers.

Bottle of Rouge was not originally in the Santa Ynez field but was ultimately entered after the race was postponed from last Saturday due to rain.

“I wanted to see how the field shaped up,” Baffert said.

In the GI Del Mar Debutante going seven furlongs at Del Mar in September, Bottle of Rouge upset Explora by one length. She then failed to fire in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, finishing sixth, in her first time around two turns.

“She’s doing better. She didn’t bring her ‘A’ game in the Breeders’ Cup,” Baffert said.

As for Himika, she most recently was second in the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz at Del Mar after failing to get the early lead and then being out finished by Revera, who also returns in the Santa Ynez and is 6-1 on the morning line for trainer John Sadler.

“Himika is a need-the-lead type. The pace is going to be key for her,” Baffert.

Himika will break from the rail under Kazushi Kimura.

The Santa Ynez goes as the third race at approximately 1 p.m. The field in post position order: Himika, Kazushi Kimura (5-1); La Wally, Umberto Rispoli (8-1); Bottle of Rouge, Mike Smith (7-2); Revera, Hector Berrios (6-1); Explora, Juan Hernandez (3-5).

AFTER DELAYS, GIII ROBERT J. FRANKEL AND EDDIE LOGAN A GO

After an 11-day delay, both the GIII Robert J. Frankel and Eddie Logan Stakes will be run as part of nine-race card Thursday starting at 12 p.m. PT.

The Eddie Logan for 3-year-olds at one mile on turf goes as the third race at 1:06 p.m. PT. The key principles include 7-5 program favorite Stark Contrast, Iriseach (5-1) and Unrivaled Time (6-1). Plutarch, the 2-1 second choice on the morning line, and Caro Buono (12-1) were both scratched.

Stark Contrast, by Caravaggio, won the GIII Zuma Beach at Del Mar and then was beaten less than a length when second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf. He is trained by Michael McCarthy for owner Amerman Racing.

Unrivaled Time and Iriseach most recently finished one-to in the GIII Cecil B. DeMille at Del Mar with Unrivaled Time prevailing by three-quarters of a length. Unrivaled Time, by Not This Time, is trained by Leonard Powell. Trainer Phil D’Amato sends out Iriseach.

The field in post position order: Brigante, Emisael Jaramillo (20-1); Stark Contrast, Kazushi Kimura (7-5); Iriseach, Umberto Rispoli (5-1); Unrivaled Time, Diego Herrera (6-1); Plutarch, Juan Hernandez (SCR); Caro Buono, Armando Ayuso (SCR); Third Beer, Hector Berrios (10-1).

The Frankel, which is for older fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles on turf, goes as the seventh race at 3:11 p.m. The 9-5 program favorite is Public Assembly for D’Amato. Most recently, the 5-year-old mare by More Than was beaten a neck by Mrs. Astor in the Grade III Red Carpet at 1 1/8 miles at Del Mar on Nov. 23.

Public Assembly’s chief rival is Paradise Lake. Trained by Peter Eurton, Paradise Lake finished a length back of Public Assembly in third in the Red Carpet. It was the stakes debut for the 5-year-old mare by Uncle Mo.

The field in post position order: Public Assembly, Umberto Rispoli (9-5); Willa T, Hector Berrios (8-1); Ima Joker, William Pyle (15-1); Hannah Buckle, Armando Ayuso (10-1); Paradise Lake, Juan Hernandez (2-1); Sun Of Hill, Kazushi Kimura (12-1); Starry Night, Ricky Gonzalez (15-1); Watchtower, Mirco Demuro (9-2).

FINISH LINES: After spending the second half of 2025 riding in the east, Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza makes his return to Santa Anita with three mounts on Thursday. Espinoza, 53, last rode at Santa Anita on May 18. He spent the summer at Saratoga and the fall riding at Keeneland. Espinoza, who won the 2015 Triple Crown with American Pharoah and has 3,526 career victories, rides Thursday’s opener on Danzig Til Dawn (15-1) for trainer D. Wayne Baker; the second aboard Taishan (8-1) for trainer Richard Baltas and the fifth on Tahini (8-1) for trainer Richard Baltas. Espinoza is represented by agent Susan McBrayer…The GIII Las Flores for fillies and mares going seven furlongs, originally scheduled for this past Sunday, is now part of a 10-race card set for this Sunday. It will be joined on the program by the GIII Las Cienegas for older fillies and mares at about 6 ½ furlongs on the hillside turf course. First post is 12 p.m. PT…Thursday’s $1 Coast-to-Coast Pick 5 starts at 12:23 p.m. with the seventh race from Gulfstream Park. The $1 Sunset Pick 6 starts at 12:54 p.m. with the eighth race from Gulfstream…Santa Anita has added a makeup card for Thursday, Jan. 15 following multiple cancellations because of train. It will begin five straight days of racing ending with a special Martin Luther King Jr. holiday program on Monday, Jan. 22…Riley Shapiro, agent for jockeys Tyler Baze and William Pyle, will be host Tom Quigley’s handicapping guest Friday on the Santa Anita simulcast feed starting at 10:50 a.m. PT.

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