Favored Look Forward Wins $100,000 Fasig- Tipton Santa Ynez Stakes At Seven Furlongs Sunday At Santa Anita

FAVORED LOOK FORWARD WINS $100,000 FASIG- TIPTON SANTA YNEZ STAKES AT SEVEN FURLONGS SUNDAY AT SANTA ANITA

The race for 3-year-old fillies starts the road to the Grade II Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks, Kentucky Oaks

ARCADIA, CA (Jan. 5, 2025)— Favored Look Forward wins $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Santa Ynez Stakes for three-year-old filles at seven furlongs at Santa Anita Park Sunday.

Look Forward’s victory was a poignant one, as it was hard not to look back to where her career began. When she won her first race on Nov. 8, she would be the last winner for trainer Ben Cecil, who would pass away on Nov. 29. Look forward was then transferred into Michael McCarthy’s care. McCarthy spent his early days working for Cecil as a foreman and assistant trainer.

“I’m just thankful to (owner) Paul Reddam for moving this horse over to us. Ben and his crew did all the heavy lifting.” Said McCarthy.

Breaking alertly from post five in a field of eight fillies, Look Forward (8-5) let the Baffert trained Silent Law (3-1) with Juan Hernandez carve out the early fractions with Tim Yakeen’s Practical Dream (15-1) and sat back in a perfect stalking trip third, to their outside. Down the back stretch Mario Gutierrez and Looking Forward, swung out at the turn to take the lead and was quickly joined by Richard Baltas’ Artisma (10-1) and Abel Lezcano to her outside as Silent Law faded back to third. It was a head and head fight to the finish line with Look Forward getting in the last stride.

Looking Forward was shortening up to seven furlongs from a hard fought second in the Grade 2 Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16th miles at Los Alamitos on Dec. 7.

“Like everything this was a first-time experience for her from her first time out, to the second time stretching her out and this time taking her back down to seven furlongs, so everything is kind of new to her. In the beginning I didn’t know if she knew when it was time to race, but once I asked her to engage everything was fine.” Said Gutierrez.

With the win Looking Forward earned 10 Kentucky Oaks points.

“I think it is late in the winter here, in early spring, you start thinking about Kentucky Oaks.” Said McCarthy, “Who knows how far she will run? Obviously with her run the other day at Los Al, you would think that she would stretch out. I think once she does do that, she will be able to find herself in in a comfortable spot.”

Fractions on the race were 22.14, 44.98, 1:11.46 and 1:25.42. With the victory Look Forward is now 3-2-1-0 Overall with $132,000 in earnings for owners Reddam Racing.

Look Forward returned $5.40, $3.40 and $2.40. Second place finisher Artisma paid $6.80, $4.60 and earned 5 Kentucky Oaks Points. Silent Law, who finished 4 ¼ lengths back earned three points and returned $3.20 to show.

Live racing resumes on Friday with a first post time for a 10-race card at 12 p.m.