Forced Entry Strikes For Baffert And ‘The Three Amigos’ In Sunday’s Grade III Santa Ysabel Stakes For 3-Year-Old Fillies Going 1 1/16 Miles At Santa Anita

__FORCED ENTRY STRIKES FOR BAFFERT AND ‘THE THREE AMIGOS’ IN SUNDAY’S GRADE III SANTA YSABEL STAKES FOR 3-YEAR-OLD FILLIES GOING 1 1/16 MILES AT SANTA ANITA __

ARCADIA, CA (March 8, 2026)— Forced Entry went from maiden winner to a likely berth in the Kentucky Oaks Sunday with an impressive victory in the Grade III, $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies going 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita.

Forced Entry, from the first-crop of Charlatan, came from off the pace to win by 1 ? lengths under Juan Hernandez. She is trained by Bob Baffert. Finishing second was Bank Shot, a 22-1 longshot ridden by Adrian Escobedo for trainer Ryan Hanson. They were followed in order by French Blue (5-2), also trained by Baffert; Piney Woods (7-1) and Cee Drew (14-1). Super Corredora (8-5), last year’s champion 2-year-old filly, broke poorly and was never involved. She finished sixth in the seven-horse field.

As an official qualifying race for the Kentucky Oaks, the Santa Ysabel awards points to the top five finishers on a 50-25-15-10-5 scale. Forced Entry, with 50 points, has likely earned a spot in the starting gate on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

Forced Entry is owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, who are known as “The Three Amigos.” The trio also owns perhaps the best 3-year-old filly in the country, Explora.

“It’s pretty good having fillies like that,” Baffert said.

French Blue was making just her second start and two-turn debut after a first-out win sprinting six furlongs on Jan. 8 at Santa Anita. The daughter of Gun Runner, ridden by Florent Geroux, went to the lead and was left alone while carving fractions of 23.34, 47.57 and 1:12.18 for six furlongs. Bank Shot tracked in second on the inside as Forced Entry settled in mid-pack.

“I broke better than everyone,” Hernandez said. “But Bob was working this filly from kind of off the pace to see if she could handle it, and she was going pretty good in the morning. I saw the horse inside (French Blue) wanted to go, so I just said, “OK, go ahead and go. I’m just going to try like they have been teaching her in the morning, working from off the pace.”

Forced Entry was moved to the outside by Hernadez entering the second turn for clear racing room and gradually made-up ground on the leader. Forced Entry drew on even terms with French Blue at the top of the stretch and then edged away from that rival. Bank Shot, who previously was third in the Las Virgenes on Feb. 8, continued to battle on gamely and passed French Blue for second.

“The heavy favorite (Super Corredora) she didn’t break, she missed the break completely and that just changed the whole race in general,” Baffert said. “After that happened, French Blue, she was just out there cruising. She is still a really nice filly. But Forced Entry, she has been training really well. She had been training with Crude Velocity who won yesterday. It’s nice when you have other nice horses to work with and keep them fit. I’m proud of the way they ran.”

Forced Entry is out of Violent Times, a stakes-winning daughter of Violence. She was purchased by Pegram, Watson and Weitman for $375,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September yearling sale.

Baffert debuted Forced Entry going six furlongs on Jan. 11. She set the pace for a half mile before weakening to last in a 10-horse field. Subsequently switched to dirt and stretched out to a mile, she then romped by 7 ? lengths against maidens on Feb. 1 at Santa Anita.

“It’s nice this time of year when you have nice fillies and you are thinking Kentucky Oaks,” Baffert said. “It’s good for Charlatan. He was a good horse and (his offspring) are finally coming around now. We have a bunch of Charlatans that look good, so it’s a big day for Charlatan.”

Forced Entry paid $7.60, $5.00 and $3.80. Bank Shot returned $11.40 and $6.00. French Blue paid $3.60.

Live racing resumes Friday at Santa Anita with a nine-race card starting at 1 p.m. PT.

GRADE II, SANTA YSABEL STAKES QUOTES

JOCKEY QUOTES

JUAN HERNANDEZ, FORCED ENTRY, WINNER: “She broke really sharp, I broke better than everyone. Bob was working this filly kind of off the pace to see if she would like it and she was doing pretty good in the mornings. I saw the inside horse wanted to go, so I just said, ‘Okay, go ahead go, I’m just going to try like how they have been teaching her in the mornings, working from off the pace’ It worked out pretty good. “I think it was good of Bob to do that with her because the last time she went to the lead. Today, she went off the pace and she relaxed really good and wasn’t rank at all. I just made an early move because I knew the filly in front of me was a really nice filly too. I wanted to challenge her and test my filly. At the end of the race my filly was the best today.”

TRAINER QUOTES

BOB BAFFERT, FORCED ENTRY, WINNER: “The heavy favorite (Super Corredora) she didn’t break, she missed the break completely and that just changed the whole race in general. After that happened, French Blue, she was just out there cruising. She is still a really nice filly. But Forced Entry, she has been training really well. She had been training with Crude Velocity who won yesterday. It’s nice when you have other nice horses to work with and keep them fit. I’m proud of the way they ran… It’s nice this time of year when you have nice fillies and you are thinking Kentucky Oaks. It’s good for Charlatan (sire). He was a good horse and they (offspring) are finally coming around now. We have a bunch of Charlatans that look good, so it’s a big day for Charlatan.”

NOTES: The winning owners are Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman.