Baffert, Hernandez wrap up great weekend as Forced Entry takes Santa Ysabel
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ARCADIA, Calif. - Forced Entry concluded an outstanding weekend at Santa Anita for trainer Bob Baffert and jockey Juan Hernandez with a sharp win in her stakes debut in Sunday’s Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.
Forced Entry, who paid $7.60 as the third choice, beat six rivals, including 8-5 favorite Super Corredora, the champion 2-year-old filly of 2025. Super Corredora broke poorly and was last early. She raced wide on the backstretch in a tracking position under jockey Hector Berrios before fading to finish sixth of seven.
“They opened the gate and she moved back,” Berrios said. “She had no chance in the race.”
Super Corredora clinched her championship with a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Del Mar in October. The $101,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes was her second race since the BC Juvenile Fillies. Super Corredora was last of four in the Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile on Feb. 8.
In the Santa Ysabel, Forced Entry broke sharply for Hernandez, who did not urge the filly to the front. The Baffert-trained French Blue took an early lead, through fractions of 23.34 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.57 for a half-mile.
Hernandez said he was content to stalk the pace with Forced Entry while racing wide.
“She broke very sharp,” Hernandez said. “I broke better than everybody. Bob was working this filly off the pace to see if she liked it.
“I thought, I’ll ride her like they have been training her in the morning. It worked out really good.”
Forced Entry rallied three-wide on the turn to get within a half-length of 5-2 French Blue. Forced Entry took the lead in early stretch and led by a length with a furlong remaining.
“She relaxed very good,” Hernandez said. “I made an early move. I knew the filly in front of me was really fast and I wanted to challenge her.
“At the end of the race, my filly was better.”
Forced Entry ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.79, finishing 1 3/4 lengths in front of 22-1 Bank Shot, who finished 1 1/2 lengths ahead of French Blue. Forced Entry earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 82.
Piney Woods was fourth, followed by Cee Drew, Super Corredora and My Love Caroline, who was eased.
Forced Entry, by Charlatan, races for Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. She was purchased for $375,000 at the 2024 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.
The Santa Ysabel was Forced Entry’s third start. Forced Entry was last of 10 in a maiden race at six furlongs on turf at Santa Anita on Jan. 1, and rebounded to win her first start on dirt by 7 1/4 lengths in a maiden race at a mile.
Forced Entry was the third stakes win of the weekend for Baffert, and the fourth for Hernandez.
On Saturday, they teamed to win the Grade 1 B. Wayne Hughes Beholder Mile with Splendora and the Grade 2 San Felipe Stakes with Potente. Hernandez also won the Grade 2 Frank Kilroe Mile with Final Boss for trainer John Sadler.
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