Photo:

Santa Anita / Benoit Photo

Making her first start on dirt for trainer John Sadler, impressively
bred Supa Speed is the 2-1 morning-line favorite on what could be a wet Sunday
for the Grade 3, $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes.

The 1 1/16-mile race for six 3-year-old fillies is the final
major prep for the Santa Anita Oaks (G2) on April 5. If there are no scratches, it also awards 50-25-15-10-5
qualifying points for the May 2 Kentucky Oaks (G1).

Click here for Santa Anita entries and results.

By Justify out of American Pharoah mare Elfin Queen, Supa
Speed in five starts has been stakes-placed on turf twice and most recently was
an impressive allowance winner going a mile on the lawn Jan. 24 at Santa Anita.

“She’s been training really well on the dirt lately, and we
wanted to give it a try,” Sadler said of the surface switch.

Before her allowance win, Supa Speed was second in the Del
Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf in September at Del Mar and third in the Blue Norther
on Dec. 28 at Santa Anita, each going a mile on the lawn. She sports a mark of
5: 2-1-1 with $114,000 in earnings for owner Flying Dutchmen Breeding and Racing.

“She’s a nice filly obviously by her record,” Sadler said
Saturday. “We think she can handle the dirt, but you never know. We’re going to
give it a go (Sunday) and see how it works out.”

Supa Speed will have the services of Flavien Prat, last year’s
Eclipse Award winner as the outstanding jockey in the U.S. and Canada.

Trainer Bob Baffert has won the Santa Ysabel the last four
years and eight times overall. He entered Cipriani
(5-2), Maysam (3-1) and Howin (7-2).

Maysam, owned by Michael Lund Petersen, wheels back just 13
days after a frustrating run in the Sunland Park Oaks in New Mexico on Feb. 16.
The Game Winner filly who was the 1-9 favorite broke poorly after acting up in
the gate and finished sixth in a seven-horse field.

“She had a disastrous trip in the Sunland Oaks,” Baffert
said. “She was behaving really well, but when she got to the gate, something
startled her, and she acted up. She threw a little tantrum and never really
wanted to run after that.”

Maysam will race without blinkers after wearing them in the
Sunland Park Oaks and in her debut win sprinting 6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita on
Jan. 24.

“I gave her a little breeze the other day and took the
blinkers off,” Baffert said. “I think that might help.”

Maysam will be ridden by Juan Hernández, who also was aboard
in the Sunland Park Oaks.

Cipriani romped by 8 1/4 lengths in her October debut sprinting
6 1/2 furlongs at Santa Anita. The Bernardini filly resurfaced in the Las
Virgenes (G3) on Feb. 2 and finished second, beaten by 6 1/2 lengths by
stablemate Tenma, who is waiting for the Santa Anita Oaks for her next start.

“Cipriani is still immature and has a ways to go,” Baffert
said. “But you have to run these fillies and try to figure them out.”

Cipriani will have Hall of Famer Mike Smith aboard for the
first time.

The National Weather Service said there is a 70% chance of showers
in Arcadia, Calif., with thunderstorms possible late in the afternoon.

The Santa Ysabel goes at 5:30 p.m. EST as the sixth of 11
races Sunday. The first post is at 3 p.m.

Post	Silks	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last start	Morn. line
1		Just As Fancy Volatile	5.84	Michael McCarthy Kyle Frey	3rd, 2025 Las Virgenes G3	12-1
Last race		3rd, 2025 Las Virgenes G3
2		Howin Gun Runner	5.84	Bob Baffert Umberto Rispoli	4th, 2025 Santa Ynez	7-2
Last race		4th, 2025 Santa Ynez
3		Supa Speed Justify	5.84	John Sadler Flavien Prat	1st, SA alw OC, 1/24/25 R7	2-1
Last race		1st, SA alw OC, 1/24/25 R7
4		Cipriani Bernardini	6.09	Bob Baffert Mike Smith	2nd, 2025 Las Virgenes G3	5-2
Last race		2nd, 2025 Las Virgenes G3
5		Maysam Game Winner	6.09	Bob Baffert Juan Hernández	6th, 2025 Sunland Park Oaks	3-1
Last race		6th, 2025 Sunland Park Oaks
6		Hey Jessie Grazen	0.00	Sean McCarthy Antonio Fresu	7th, 2025 California Cup Oaks	10-1
Last race		7th, 2025 California Cup Oaks