Justique figures to use her passing gear in the stretch of the Santa Ynez

Justique, who will start favored in Sunday’s Grade 2 Santa Ynez Stakes at Santa Anita, has a closing style that leaves 50-year-old Hall of Fame jockey Victor Espinoza in awe.

“It’s fun to ride her,” Espinoza said on Friday. “There are not many horses that I ride like her down the lane. It’s like she’s the only one that is running. It makes it look like the other ones are galloping.”

Justique has won 2 of 3 her starts, all for owners Lee and Susan Searing’s CRK Stables and trainer John Shirreffs. At Del Mar on Nov. 19, Justique closed from last of seven to win the Dezi Arnaz Stakes for 2-year-olds fillies at seven furlongs by an easy 2 3/4 lengths.

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The $200,000 Santa Ynez is for 3-year-old fillies and also is at seven furlongs. Once again, Justique is expected to come from off the pace.

“I’m excited and looking forward to see how she will perform,” said Espinoza, who rides her Sunday and has ridden her in all of her races. “I expect her to run a big race. I hope she runs like she did last time, or better.”

Justique won her debut in a maiden race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on July 31, but missed the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante in early September because of a late summer illness. Justique was later a well-beaten third behind And Tell Me Nolies in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Oct. 8 before rebounding in the Desi Arnaz Stakes.

“She ran good, but not as I expected,” Espinoza said of the loss. “I want to see her run as good as she did at Del Mar.”

Justique will start from post 2 in the Santa Ynez, the seventh race on an eight-race all-dirt program that begins at noon Pacific.

Justique, purchased for a hefty $725,000 as a yearling, is the only stakes winner in the seven-horse field, which includes three runners trained by Bob Baffert – Fast and Shiny, who was supplemented on Thursday for $4,000, Huntingcoco, and Parody.

Parody and Huntingcoco were fourth and fifth in the Desi Arnaz Stakes. Parody set the pace in that field and is expected to have a forward role in the Santa Ynez.

The Santa Ynez will be the stakes debut for the promising Lily Poo, who was recently purchased privately by Eclipse Thoroughbreds Partners and transferred from trainer Rolando Quinonez to Michael McCarthy. Lily Poo closed from fourth to win a maiden race by 2 1/4 lengths going 6 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Dec. 2.

Ice Dancing, who drew the outside post, will have her third appearance in a stakes. She was third in the Del Mar Debutante and fourth in the Chandelier Stakes before winning a maiden race at a mile at Del Mar on Nov. 25.

Ice Dancing led throughout the maiden race win, but trainer Richard Mandella said he expects her to stalk the pace at Sunday’s shorter distance. Mike Smith takes the mount on Ice Dancing from Flavien Prat, who is riding at Oaklawn Park on Sunday.

Trainer Doug O’Neill starts the longshot Satin Doll.

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