Quills Picks Winners – Sunday 1/5 – Santa Anita Race 7

Today we are keeping our spotlight on the three-year-olds, but today it’s the three-year-old fillies’ turn for the spotlight. We are looking at race 7 today at Santa Anita, where a field of eight will go seven furlongs in the Santa Ynez Stakes.

Santa Anita Race 7 – Santa Ynez Stakes

Favored in today’s race is the 5 Look Forward (2/1 morning line). She comes into this race after breaking her maiden in her debut at Del Mar in November, going six furlongs. Next was the Starlet at Los Alamitos, where she yielded late against a Baffert filly going a mile and a sixteenth. She cuts back today and looks to do what her name suggests and “look forward” and go for the lead today. She definitely looks right now like a Kentucky Oaks prospect.

The 7 Silent Law (9/2 ML) is a filly who finished second in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar in November. She is one of three Bob Baffert trained horses in this race. This filly appears to be the filly with the best chance of the Baffert fillies. But she will be forwardly placed just like the favorite today. But my concern is that she has not faced a field larger than four horses yet.

Santa Anita

The 4 Practical Dream (10/1 ML) had a horrible race in the Starlet at Los Alamitos. She was wide on both turns and faded last month. But note that those turns at Los Al are very tight since that is a converted five-furlong track to run thoroughbreds there during the day. She gets to cut back today to seven furlongs and a wider turn of a mile circumference track like Santa Anita today. But, she will be forwardly placed as well.

The 3 A. Z. Wildcat (5/2 ML) defeated a field of nine at Los Al in her debut race, but that was in the end of June. The layoff was due to getting sick after that win, but the fact that she is coming back in a stakes race is a good sign to me. When she won in June, she stalked the pace and took over in the stretch. If she’s fit, which her works says she is, she is the danger in this race.

Joe’s Santa Anita Pick

Sometimes in these races, I just say take the Baffert horse and move on to the next race. But in this race, I think we can beat Bob here. We will see how ready the 3 A. Z. Wildcat is today. Also, you get Flavien Prat, as I mentioned yesterday, won the most stakes races and most graded stakes races in a calendar year last year in 2024.

I get the feeling that we are not going to get the 5/2 odds here on A.Z. Wildcat, but this article is about picking winners, but not always at huge odds. The Wildcat will get a nice trip behind speed and take over to win this race. I’ll call this 3-4-5-7 and my play is $20 to win on the 3. Best of luck everyone and I’ll see you in the winner’s circle!

santa anita
QPW Saturday Recap
  • Cyclone State raced on the front end and drew off on the turn to win impressively in the Jerome Stakes at Aqueduct. He earned 10 points towards the Kentucky Derby and paid $8.10 to win.
  • Guns Loaded rode the rail and held off Treaty of Rome in deep stretch to win the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream Park. He paid $4.60 to win.
  • At Oaklawn, closer Coal Runner changed tactics and won on the front end in the Smarty Jones Stakes. He paid $11 to win and earned 10 points for the Kentucky Derby.