The $200,000 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) is the marquee race for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita Park and a key Southern California steppingstone to the Longines Kentucky Oaks, offering 200 qualifying points on a 100-5-25-15-10 scale to the top five finishers.
Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert has won the past three editions with Faiza (2023), Nothing Like You (2024), and Tenma (2025) and has two fillies entered with a shot to give him his sixth overall win in the Santa Anita Oaks.
1. Forced Entry (4-1 morning-line odds): After beginning her career in a turf sprint, the bay Charlatan filly has excelled with a switch to dirt route races, dominating a one-mile maiden race by 7 1/4 lengths Feb. 1 before a 1 3/4-length score in the Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) March 8. Speed figures indicate she's a win candidate for Baffert, who has won this race five times, but she could be overbet.
JOCKEY: Mike Smith; TRAINER: Bob Baffert
2. Bank Shot (20-1): Gives a consistent effort with five top-three finishes in six career starts and enters off a runner-up finish to Forced Entry in the Santa Ysabel. Potentially a nice value play for exotic bets.
JOCKEY: Adrian Escobedo; TRAINER: Ryan Hanson
3. French Blue (5-1): Baffert's second entrant debuted with a sprint victory but faded to third after setting the pace when stretching out to 1 1/16 miles for the Santa Ysabel. By Gun Runner out of a graded stakes-winning Into Mischief mare, she could take a big step forward in her second try around two turns for a potent jockey-trainer tandem.
JOCKEY: Florent Geroux; TRAINER: Bob Baffert
4. Hypergamy (20-1): Multiple stakes-placed filly tries the main track for the first time after running exclusively on grass for her first eight races. A proven stakes performer but surface is a major question.
JOCKEY: Emisael Jaramillo; TRAINER: Doug O'Neill
5. Meaning (3-5): Ran a troubled fourth in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) while showing some immaturity in just her second start. Showed improved focus in 3-year-old bow with determined 1 1/2-length score in Las Virgenes Stakes. Talented Gun Runner filly gets slight edge in evenly matched field.
JOCKEY: Juan Hernandez; TRAINER: Michael McCarthy
6. Red Cherry (30-1): Showed little in a dirt sprint in her debut before breaking through with a win stretching out to a mile on grass in her third try Feb. 28. Returns to dirt for the Santa Anita Oaks. Pedigree and recent workouts hint she might handle the switch for a trainer that clicks at 18% with turf-to-dirt runners.
JOCKEY: Armando Ayuso; TRAINER: John Sadler
7. Brooklyn Blonde (6-1): Stepped forward in third start for a 1 1/4-length win from just off the pace when stretching to a mile for the first time. Should be tucked in just behind the pace or could be sent to the front from the outside post. Trainer-jockey tandem winning at 25% at Santa Anita since the start of 2025.
JOCKEY: Kazushi Kimura; TRAINER: Michael McCarthy
THE PICK: Meaning
LIVE LONGSHOT: Brooklyn Blonde
SUPERFECTA: 5-3-7-1
