Reddam confident he has an Oaks runner in Look Forward

ARCADIA, Calif. – Paul Reddam, one of the most prominent owners in California, has two Kentucky Derby trophies courtesy of I’ll Have Another in 2012 and Nyquist four years later.

Reddam, who operates the stable with his wife, Zillah, has never won a Kentucky Oaks. Land Over Sea was second to Cathryn Sophia for the Reddams in 2016. Their most recent runner in the Oaks was the longshot Mopotism, who finished 10th in 2017.

The Reddams may be back at Churchill Downs on May 2 for the Kentucky Oaks with Look Forward, the winner of Sunday’s Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs at Santa Anita.

Look Forward won for the second time in her third start, holding off a stretch-long threat from Artisma to win by a head.

Asked if Look Forward was Kentucky Oaks material, Paul Reddam had a fast answer on Sunday. “I think so,” he said.

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Look Forward, by Bolt d’Oro, won her debut in a six-furlong maiden race for trainer Ben Cecil at Del Mar on Nov. 8. Look Forward was Cecil’s final winner. He died of cancer in late November.

Look Forward was switched to trainer Michael McCarthy after Cecil’s passing. McCarthy assisted Cecil before he began training the horse on his own.

“I wish he was here to see how good she is,” Paul Reddam said of Cecil.

The Reddams had runners with Cecil for 22 years.

“I don’t change too much,” Paul Reddam said.

Look Forward has started once around two turns, finishing second to Tenma in the Grade 2 Starlet Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Los Alamitos on Dec. 7, disputing the pace before losing by 1 3/4 lengths.

“If she had more than one race, she might have held on,” Paul Reddam said.

McCarthy said on Sunday that Look Forward will be considered for the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile for 3-year-old fillies at Santa Anita on Feb. 2. The race is part of the buildup to the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks on April 5.

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