Explora wins as she pleases in Santa Ynez

Jan 10, 2026 Vance Hanson/Brisnet.com

Expora wins the Santa Ynez at Santa Anita.(Photo by Benoit Photo)

Given a strong pace to run at, Explora rallied and won as she pleased in the $98,000 Santa Ynez S. at Santa Anita on Saturday.

Favored at 1-20 in the field of four three-year-old fillies, Explora easily erased a four-length deficit after La Wally and Explora's stablemate, Himika, traded leads through an opening quarter in :22.30 and a half-mile in :44.21.

Launching a four-wide bid turning for home, Explora took over from Himika approaching the eighth pole and then drew off to win by 5 1/4 lengths under Juan Hernandez. She is trained by Bob Baffert, who won the Santa Ynez for an eighth time.

Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman, Explora finished up seven furlongs in 1:22.05 over a fast track and paid $2.10. La Wally finished second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Revera, while Himika faded to last.

The Santa Ynez was the third win in five starts for Explora, a 4 3/4-length winner on debut at Del Mar last August. She subsequently finished second to stablemate Bottle of Rouge, who was scratched from the Santa Ynez, in the Del Mar Debutante (G1).

Explora rebounded to take her two-turn debut, the Oak Leaf (G2), by 4 1/4 lengths, but fell short of Super Corredora by three parts of a length as the 3-2 favorite in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar.

'It's good to see her back in form,' Baffert said. 'It's going to be two turns from here the rest of her life.'

Explora earned 10 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Oaks (G1) by winning the Santa Ynez, boosting her total to 35. La Wally increased her total from five points to 10, Revera earned three points, while Himika saw her total jump from one point to three.

Bred in Kentucky by Mesingw Farm, Explora is by Blame and out of Collections Choice, by Bernardini. She most recently sold for $350,000 at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic two-year-old sale.