Explora Last To First In Santa Ynez
Updated: January 10, 2026 at 4:56 pm
'TDN Rising Star' presented by Hagyard' Explora (Blame), last seen running second as the favorite in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, returned to the track Saturday for her 3-year-old debut in the listed Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita.
Favored in each of her previous four starts and a winner in two of them, the daughter of Blame has been denied in each of her Grade I tries, suffering a loss earlier in the season to stablemate Bottle of Rogue (Vino Rosso) in the GI Del Mar Debutante. With that rival scratched from Saturday's Santa Ynez, Explora was slammed into 1-9 favoritism in her first start since scratching from the GII Golden Rod Stakes at the end of November.
Outsprinted by the three runners to her inside from the gate, Explora quickly found herself trailing the small field but was in no hurry under regular pilot Juan Hernandez who knew just what he had beneath him. Still fourth into the far turn through the half in :44.21, the favorite had to commit to a wide run and circled up three across the track to draw even with just over a furlong to run. No one could challenge her once straightened away and Explora quickly put this field to bed as La Wally (Constitution) led the rest of the group him several lengths behind her.
One of 54 stakes winners for Blame, the winner was a $350,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale grad for the Three Amigos last year. First dam Collections Choice, out of leading broodmare sire Bernardini, has five winners from as many to race and is herself a daughter of SW/MGISP Model. She was culled for $24,000 at Keeneland November in 2024 and exported to Korea. Her last reported foal is the now-yearling Beau Liam colt she carried in utero at that sale.
SANTA YNEZ S., $98,000, Santa Anita, 1-10, 3yo, f, 7f, 1:22.05, ft.
1–EXPLORA, 124, f, 3, by Blame
1st Dam: Collections Choice, by Bernardini
2nd Dam: Model, by Giant's Causeway
3rd Dam: Snowfire (GB), by Machiavellian
($22,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP; $350,000 2yo '25 EASMAY).
O-Michael E. Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman;
B-Mesingw Farm, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez.
$60,000. Lifetime Record: MGISP, 5-3-2-0, $628,000.
2–La Wally, 120, f, 3, Constitution–Moonstone, by Gemologist.
($300,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Muir Hut Stables LLC; B-Gage Hill
Stable II, LLC, W. S. Farish & Ken Langone (KY); T-Mark Glatt.
$20,000.
3–Revera, 122, f, 3, Lexitonian–Decoder, by War Front.
($50,000 Wlg '23 KEENOV; $47,000 RNA Ylg '24 KEESEP;
$85,000 2yo '25 OBSMAR). O-Saints or Sinners, Titletown
Racing Stables, U Racing Stables LLC, Denise Barker, Edwin S.
Barker, John Haines, Daniel Rivers and Deborah Self; B-Steven
& Brandi Nicholson (KY); T-John W. Sadler. $12,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, 1 1/4, 3/4. Odds: 0.05, 8.60, 16.40.
Also Ran: Himika. Scratched: Bottle of Rouge. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
Explora captures the Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita. pic.twitter.com/vQFGagx46f
— Santa Anita Park (@santaanitapark) January 10, 2026