Miss Mattie B back in Santa Anita stakes
Photo: TheFreePPs.com
A compact field of 6 3-year-old fillies will go 7 furlongs on dirt in the $200,000 G2 Santa Ynez Stakes and the winner of the DRF feature Race of the Day at Santa Anita.
Hess’s Hunch produces big results
Trainer Robert Hess, Jr. will send Miss Mattie B to break from gate six in today’s Santa Ynez.
Listed at 5-1, the daughter of the 2014 Belmont Stakes winner Tonalist, she was a last out winner on turf in a MSW at Del Mar.
Owned by Westlake Stable, she started her career in a 5 1/2 furlong dash at Indiana Downs before being switched to the West Coast.
She wore blinkers in her first two starts for Hess and was a well beaten third sprinting at Del Mar on dirt at long odds, and seventh when trying turf for the first time.
She was sent to the track without blinkers last time out and came storming home to get the win going the 1 mile on turf.
Equipment changes are a huge handicapping angle and bettors cashed at 30-1 on Miss Mattie B who is taking a big step up into stakes company in the Santa Ynez.
Mike Smith will be back aboard and the 7 furlong distance is right for a mild upset.
Baffert sizzles in defiance
Baffert has Under the Stars, the morning line favorite at 8-5, coming off a last out trip to the winner’s circle after dusting a field of twelve in a $55,000 MSW at Los Alamitos.
The daughter of Pioneer of the Nile was third in a 6 furlong sprint to start her career here in October. Gaining late as the heavy favorite, she was outrun to the wire beaten less than a length.
She made her second start wearing blinkers going 6 1/2 in the Desi Arnaz at Del Mar against winners and finished third behind her stablemate.
With the inside post today, she’ll need to get out clean and protect the rail in a short field against a couple of quicker candidates in here.
Baffert has sent 22 starters to the gate in the afternoon winning at a 45% clip. And, despite all the other news that’s made surrounding his horses, he continues to reign supreme over the Southern California circuit.
Post time for the Santa Ynez Stakes, DRF’s Race of the Day, is scheduled for 7:06 PM ET and will go as race 8 on the 9 race card at Santa Anita.
