Tenma brings a near-perfect record into the April 5 Santa Anita Oaks (G2), and she has beaten a couple of her rivals in the past. Coming from the barn of Bob Baffert, who has won the two previous editions of the race, Tenma is the morning-line, even-money favorite.
The 1 1/16-mile Oaks, which offers qualifying points for the Kentucky Oaks (G1) on a schedule of 100-50-25-15-10 to the top five finishers, drew a field of six.
That field includes Look Forward, the Santa Ynez Stakes winner, who also has been entered in the Ashland Stakes (G1) at Keeneland. Originally scheduled for the same day as the Santa Anita Oaks, the Ashland has been postponed to April 7 to avoid anticipated heavy rains and potential flooding in Central Kentucky.
Though Look Forward remains listed for the Santa Anita Oaks, trainer Michael McCarthy reports that the Bolt d'Oro filly is already in Kentucky for the Ashland. She drew the rail in both races and has jockey Mario Gutierrez listed to ride in both. If the Santa Anita Oaks goes with a field of five, under a new rule established this year by Churchill Downs, the race will offer only 75% of the points. A field of four would reduce qualifying points to 50% of the original schedule.
Tenma already has 33 qualifying points. The daughter of Nyquist earned three points when third in last year's Oak Leaf Stakes (G2)—her only loss—10 points for winning last year's Starlet Stakes (G2), and 20 points when she captured the Feb. 2 Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) by 6 1/2 lengths.
Prior to the Oak Leaf, Tenma won the 2024 Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1). She wore blinkers for the only time in the Oak Leaf, brushed the gate, and never got to the lead. Baffert said he didn't feel that Tenma was mature enough to run in the Breeders' Cup, and so she skipped the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).
"I think the farther the better with (Tenma). I wish it was a mile and an eighth," Baffert said. "But she's doing well. She's a very aggressive filly."
Jockey Juan Hernandez took over for the Starlet, and he and Tenma are 2-for-2. Hernandez returns aboard the filly, who drew post 4.
Baffert also has entered Silent Law, a daughter of Tiz the Law who ran third to Look Forward and Artisma in the Santa Ynez. In three starts at 2, Silent Law broke her maiden by 10 lengths, won the Anoakia Stakes, and finished second in the Desi Arnaz Stakes. Hernandez has ridden her in all of her previous starts, and she gets Martin Garcia from post 2 in the Santa Anita Oaks. She'll try two turns for the first time in the Santa Anita Oaks.
"There wasn't really anything to run her short," Baffert said of Silent Law. "I thought if I was going to try her long, she has a lot of speed, maybe she won't have to go so fast early. We'll see what she does."
Vodka With a Twist ran second to Tenma in the Debutante and third to Tenma and Look Forward in the Starlet. In between, she finished second to eventual Eclipse Award champion 2-year-old filly Immersive in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Vodka With a Twist has 18 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points: 15 from the Breeders' Cup and three from the Starlet.
Trainer Phil D'Amato will put Antonio Fresu aboard Vodka With a Twist for the first time as she makes her 3-year-old debut. The daughter of Thousand Words drew post 3.
No Bad Beats, a daughter of Midnight Storm trained by Doug O'Neill, is coming off back-to-back victories this year. Those came at sprint distances, and she has never tried two turns in five lifetime starts. O'Neill has named Hector Berrios to ride from post 5.
Richard Mandella has entered Madame Secretary, a filly by Constitution . She has started three times, most recently breaking her maiden by five lengths at a mile Feb. 14. Kazushi Kimura is set to ride from post 6.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, April 5, 2025, Race 4Entries: Fasig-Tipton Santa Anita Oaks (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Look Forward (KY) Mario Gutierrez 124 Michael W. McCarthy 10/1 2 2Silent Law (KY) Martin Garcia 124 Bob Baffert 8/1 3 3Vodka With a Twist (KY) Antonio Fresu 124 Philip D'Amato 4/1 4 4Tenma (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 124 Bob Baffert 1/1 5 5No Bad Beats (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 124 Doug F. O'Neill 7/2 6 6Madame Secretary (KY) Kazushi Kimura 124 Richard E. Mandella 6/1
