Distance is a friend to Santa Ysabel contender Moraz

Three starts into her career, the 3-year-old filly Moraz has a promising foundation that could lead to a start in the Kentucky Oaks.

Moraz finished third in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile on Feb. 6 at Santa Anita and will go 1 1/16 miles in Sunday’s Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes for 3-year-old fillies.

:: Get Brad Free’s Betting Strategies for Saturday’s card at Santa Anita

Trainer Michael McCarthy said Moraz looks like she’ll prefer even longer distances.

“I think her best days will be when she gets to go a mile and an eighth and those type of things,” McCarthy said. “She’s light on experience, but she’ll get that in the next five weeks or so.”

The $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes could be a prep for the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks at 1 1/16 miles on April 3, a vital West Coast prep for the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks on April 30 at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Don Alberto Stable, Moraz drew the outside post in a field of five for the Santa Ysabel. The race is a scrimmage between two fillies trained by McCarthy, including the recent maiden special weight winner A Real Hero, and three trained by Bob Baffert – Beautiful Gift, Heels Up, and Kalypso.

Beautiful Gift has not raced since winning a maiden special weight race at a mile as the 3-5 favorite here in October.

“I think she’ll like the distance,” Baffert said. “She’s definitely a two-turn filly.”

Heels Up has not started since she finished a well-beaten third in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs at Del Mar in November. Baffert said he would have preferred to start Heels Up in an allowance race.

“There are no races that will fill,” he said. “I’ll try her to see what she can do.”

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Santa Anita Clocker Report

Kalypso is by far the most-accomplished runner in the Santa Ysabel field, having won two stakes among her six starts. Kalypso won for the first time in her career in her third start in the Anoakia Stakes at six furlongs here in October, and was second to stablemate Varda in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos in December after leading in the stretch.

At the winter-spring meeting, Kalypso has won the Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs on Jan. 3 and was second to Moonlight d’Oro in the Las Virgenes as the even-money favorite. Moonlight d’Oro has since been sidelined by injury.

Kalypso, who probably will be favored in the Santa Ysabel, has yet to win beyond seven furlongs, but seems capable of getting 1 1/16 miles, Baffert said.

“We’re giving her another chance,” he said. “It’s a good race for her.”

In the Las Virgenes, Kalypso finished 1 3/4 lengths in front of Moraz, who raced on the inside from a rail start. With an outside draw, McCarthy expects Moraz to be better placed under jockey Umberto Rispoli in a race that could lead to a start at Churchill Downs in April.