Kinza has options against speedy Santa Ysabel field

Kinza can be part of a celebratory week for top California jockey Juan Hernandez if she can win her second stakes of 2024 in Saturday’s Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita.

Unbeaten in two starts, Kinza will be favored in the $100,000 Santa Ysabel Stakes at 1 1/16 miles for 3-year-old fillies, which will be run two days after Hernandez’s 32nd birthday.

The filly has already provided a recent gift after leading throughout the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile Feb. 10, drawing away to win by two lengths. The manner of the win gives Kinza the leading role in the Santa Ysabel, a prep for the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks, a $300,000 race at 1 1/16 miles on April 6.

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Hernandez has been aboard Kinza’s two wins for owner Michael Lund Petersen and trainer Bob Baffert, including an authoritative victory by 7 1/2 lengths in a maiden race at a mile on Dec. 29 in which she disputed the early pace before taking the lead.

Hernandez said that Kinza took an early lead in the Las Virgenes after an ideal start.

“I broke in front and I let her go,” Hernandez said.

In the Santa Ysabel, Kinza is part of a field of nine, and starts from post 4.

“I’m going to play the break,” Hernandez said. “If someone wants to go crazy, I’ll try to relax my filly and get her in a good rhythm and see how the race comes up.”

She’s a Tempest, third by 3 1/2 lengths in the Las Virgenes, and Where’s My Ring, a maiden after six races, are likely to be near the front.

She’s a Tempest stalked the pace in the Las Virgenes after trainer Steve Knapp predicted that Kinza and Kopion, a stakes winner trained by Richard Mandella, might engage in a speed duel.

“I thought there would be too much speed that day,” Knapp said. “We decided to sit.”

Knapp said he has been encouraged by She’s a Tempest’s recent works, including a half-mile in a quick 46.20 seconds on Feb. 24 and another half-mile in 47.60 on March 1. She’s a Tempest will be fitted with blinkers for the first time in the Santa Ysabel.

“She’ll be really, really close,” Knapp said. “If they let me go, absolutely I’d go to the front.”

Any sort of duel will help the chances of Ultimate Authority, who finished second to She’s a Tempest in a maiden race on Jan. 5 and returned to win a mile race by a half-length over Where’s My Ring on Feb. 2.

The Santa Ysabel is Ultimate Authority’s stakes debut in her fourth start. Trained by Tim Yakteen, Ultimate Authority starts from the inside and will be ridden by Flavien Prat.

Asked what will help an expected stalker in Ultimate Authority, Yakteen had a quick answer.

“Prat,” he said. “He can put her where she is best placed. Hopefully, she’ll replicate her last effort.

“She’s healthy and doing really well. I see a maturing filly.”

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