Trainer Bob Baffert is training Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) winner Bottle of Rouge up to the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), but two of her stablemates, including likely favorite Explora, will try to earn a spot in the starting gate with her via the $200,000 Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) Oct. 4 at Santa Anita Park.
The 1 1/16-mile Oak Leaf drew a field of six 2-year-old fillies. As part of the Breeders' Cup Challenge Series, the Oak Leaf winner will receive an automatic, fees-paid berth to the Oct. 31 Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar.
Owned by longtime Baffert clients Mike Pegram, Karl Watson, and Paul Weitman—"The Three Amigos"—Explora was the $0.60-1 favorite in the Debutante. The Blame filly broke from the rail, was bumped by stablemate Himika, then set fractions of :44.62 for the half-mile and 1:09.74 for six furlongs before succumbing late to Bottle of Rouge to finish second, beaten a length.
Baffert will remove Explora's blinkers Saturday, a powerful move historically for the Hall of Fame trainer, as she stretches out to two turns. Explora drew the outermost post and will again be ridden by Juan Hernandez.
The other Baffert, Baoma Corp.'s Himika, made a bid at her stablemates at the head of the lane in the Debutante, but flattened out and finished fourth, beaten 9 1/4 lengths. The Curlin filly picks up the services of Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith as she looks to run back to the form of her previous two starts, which included a 4 1/4-length win in the Aug. 10 Sorrento Stakes (G3).
Muir Hut Stables' La Wally, a Constitution filly who stayed on for third in the Debutante, also returns for trainer Mark Glatt.
Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, Sabby Racing, and Ken T. Reimer's La Ville Lumiere moves back to dirt after finishing fifth in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf Stakes. The City of Light, filly trained by Michael McCarthy, finished second in her debut going 4 1/2 furlongs on the main track at Santa Anita before breaking her maiden on the turf at the Arcadia, Calif., track.
The field is completed by the top two finishers of an Aug. 30 Del Mar maiden special weight—Panic Stable's Heaven's Bolt and Kris Chandler's Banzai Betty. Heaven's Bolt, by Bolt d'Oro , ran the more professional race as she stalked the pace from fourth and got up to win by a neck for trainer Richard Baltas.
Bettors might find the upside of Banzai Betty appealing as she stretches out after what should have been an educational debut. The Upstart filly trained by George Papaprodromou veered inward at the start and was slow into gear, falling 11 lengths behind at the first call. She made an inside-out move in the lane while running her final quarter in about :24, looking like a filly who could appreciate more distance.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, October 4, 2025, Race 9Entries: Oak Leaf S. presented by Oak Tree Racing Association (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Banzai Betty (KY) Umberto Rispoli 122 George Papaprodromou 10/1 2 2La Ville Lumiere (KY) Kazushi Kimura 122 Michael W. McCarthy 12/1 3 3La Wally (KY) Antonio Fresu 122 Mark Glatt 4/1 4 4Himika (KY) Mike E. Smith 122 Bob Baffert 3/1 5 5Heaven's Bolt (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 122 Richard Baltas 5/1 6 6Explora (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 122 Bob Baffert 4/5
