Here comes A.P. Adventure

ARCADIA, Calif. - Now who exactly is Halfbridled, again? An unbeaten filly, she is expected to dominate the 3-year-old filly division this winter at Santa Anita. But if the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes unfolds as expected Sunday, Halfbridled will face a serious challenge when she returns to action next month.

A field of six entered the $100,000, 1 1/16-mile Santa Ysabel, and none of the six is more imposing than . A daughter of A.P. Indy, A.P. Adventure won her maiden by 5 1/4 lengths Oct. 30; the only knock on her is she has not raced since.

"Every time I entered her in a one-other-than, she was the only name in the box," trainer Wally Dollase said.

Although A.P. Adventure, who will be ridden by Alex Solis, concedes an experience advantage Sunday, the 86 Beyer she earned when she won the mile maiden race is the best two-turn figure in the Santa Ysabel field. Her rivals include Salty Romance, five-length winner of the $250,000 Delta Princess at Delta Downs; Churchill Downs stakes winner Stellar Jayne; and sprinters Wildwood Flower, Super G I, and Penny's Fortune.

Dollase recognizes the competition will get tougher Feb. 15, when A.P. Adventure faces Halfbridled in the Grade 1 Las Virgenes.

"You have no choice if you have a good filly, and I don't know how good my filly is," said Dollase.

No one does. Racing two turns in her debut, A.P. Adventure broke it open on the far turn and coasted home by five lengths, earning a higher Beyer than five of the last 10 Santa Ysabel winners.

Dollase said A.P. Adventure "is much better now than last time. She's definitely on her game."

She will have to be, because Salty Romance has three races under her belt, including one Dec. 5, in which she won her second straight. Trainer Patrick Biancone said Salty Romance will get a freshening after Sunday.

"She will have had four races; she'll get a break and come back in March," Biancone said, adding that the Ashland and Kentucky Oaks are obvious targets.

Biancone's top filly, Whoopi Cat, returns Jan. 19 in the seven-furlong Santa Ynez and will be the stable's leading threat in the Las Virgenes and March 13 Santa Anita Oaks.

Late-runner Stellar Jayne has trained better on the Santa Anita surface than she did last fall at Churchill Downs, according to trainer Wayne Lukas.

"She seems to have an affinity for this surface," Lukas said. "I'd like to see some pace."

Stellar Jayne is a deep closer whose speed figures put her at a disadvantage.