Baffert Trio Tries for Santa Ynez

After trying longer distances, Pretty N Cool will be back in her comfort zone sprinting Jan. 2 in the $200,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) at Santa Anita Park.

The Scat Daddy   filly arguably had her best races at six and 6 1/2 furlongs, both grade II wins, in the Sorrento Stakes at Del Mar over the summer and in the Matron Stakes at Belmont Park in October.

LEWYN: Pretty N Cool Leads Way in Matron Win

Back at 6 1/2 furlongs for the Santa Ynez, Pretty N Cool is one of three Bob Baffert-trained 3-year-olds entered—along with stakes-placed Treasuring and One Last Shot—and the only graded winner in the eight-filly field.

Owned by Karl Watson, Mike Pegram, and Paul Weitman, Pretty N Cool set the pace and tired to fourth last time out in the two-turn Starlet (gr. I) at Los Alamitos Race Course and finished fifth in the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz at Del Mar before that—a performance that still has the Hall of Fame trainer puzzled.

"It was just a little far for her last time. She's better going short," Baffert said. "I was really disappointed in that Del Mar race. I don't know what happened there. It was a head-scratcher. We threw that one in the garbage. That was just a puzzler."

Treasuring, a Smart Strike filly owned by Hill 'n' Dale Equine Holdings and Edward McGhee, finished second in the Desi Arnaz, a half-length behind Lucky Folie, and came in fifth in the Starlet last time out after pressing Pretty N Cool for the lead.

"She went out there—she was probably too close to the pace," Baffert said.

Another intriguing entrant is JC Racing Stable's undefeated Code Warrior, who is shipping in from Golden Gate Fields to make her dirt debut in the Santa Ynez. The Florida-bred Society's Chairman   filly has been dominant in Northern California for trainer Manuel Badilla, winning all three of her starts on the Golden Gate synthetic surface, including stakes wins in the Golden Gate Debutante Nov. 28 and in the Golden Nugget Stakes against males Nov. 7.

Graded stakes-placed Decked Out, stakes-placed My Dynamo, maiden winner Forever Darling, and maiden Rockantharos complete the field.