Folklore Towers Over Short Santa Ynez Field

Folklore, likely to be named last year's champion 2-year-old filly later this month, enjoys a huge class edge over five rivals in her 2006 debut on Monday in Santa Anita's $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II) at seven furlongs.

Bob and Beverly Lewis's Alberto VO5 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (gr. I) winner would appear to tower over the 3-year-old fillies in the Santa Ynez. The Lewises won the race with their Hall of Fame filly Serena's Song in 1995.

The Santa Ynez will mark Folklore's West Coast debut. The daughter of two-time Breeders' Cup Classic winner Tiznow   ended the 2005 season on a tear. She followed a 14-length victory in the Belmont Park Matron (gr. I) in September by taking the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies one month later at Belmont by 1 ¼ lengths over Wild Fit.

"She's doing very, very well," trainer D. Wayne Lukas said of Folklore's acclimatization to Santa Anita for her first start since then. "All signs are go. We're excited to see her make her 3-year-old debut."

As a 2-year-old, the bay filly earned $927,500 from four wins and three seconds in seven starts. Eastern-based Edgar Prado, who first rode her in the Matron, will travel to Santa Anita to guide her in the Martin Luther King Holiday feature.

High weighted at 123 pounds, Folklore will be conceding at least seven pounds to each of her opponents, but none of them has ever won a stakes race. The likely second choice is Talullah Lula, third in Hollywood Park's Sharp Cat Stakes for trainer Bob Baffert.

Lukas also saddles Dance Daily, who runs as part of a Lewis-owned entry with Folklore.

$150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (gr. II, Race 8, 4:10 p.m.), 3-year-old fillies, 7 furlongs
PP. Horse, Weight, Jockey
1. Trick's Pic (KY), 116, Tony Farina
2. Talullah Lula (KY), 114, Garrett K. Gomez
3. My Little Monkey (KY), 114, Jose Valdivia, Jr.
4. a-Folklore (KY), 123, Edgar S. Prado
5. Lake Como (KY), 114, Isaias D. Enriquez
6. a-Dance Daily (KY), 114, Victor Espinoza
a-Bob and Beverly Lewis entry