EXPLORA in the route to the Kentucky Oaks

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert remained unbeaten in Kentucky Oaks preps at Oaklawn after even-money favorite Explora delivered a hard-fought victory in Sunday’s $750,000 Honeybee Stakes (G3).

Ridden by two-time reigning Eclipse Award winner Flavien Prat, Explora edged Counting Stars by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/16-mile race run over a fast track. It was two lengths farther back to third-place finisher Sneaky Good, who was followed, in order, by Search Party, Knickleandime, Grade Is Free, Classic Glide, Taken by the Wind and Take Charge Macy. Taken by the Wind had previously been unbeaten in three starts. Newtown Pike was scratched, reducing the starting field to nine.

Explora represented the Southern California-based Baffert’s 100^th career Oaklawn starter, but only the fourth in a Kentucky Oaks prep race. Explora kept Baffert’s record clean after he won the Fantasy – Oaklawn’s biggest two-turn race for 3-year-old fillies – in 1999 with Excellent Meeting and again in 2012 with Mamma Kimbo. Baffert’s third Fantasy starter, Jemima’s Pearl, ran third in 2012.

The Honeybee marked Explora’s first start outside California. After breaking sharply from post 8, Explora raced just behind front-runner Knickleandime, who took the field through a :23.45 opening quarter-mile, :47.70 half-mile and six furlongs in 1:12.49. Explora took the lead on the outside turning for home and opened a 1 ½-length in midstretch.

Counting Stars, seventh after a half-mile, gradually closed the gap on the outside in the final sixteenth of a mile before falling short. The winning time was 1:43.52.

Explora paid $4, $2.80 and $2.20. Counting Stars paid $7.20 and $4.40. Sneaky Good paid $3.60.

A daughter of champion Blame, Explora was a finalist for an Eclipse Award as North America’s champion 2-year-old filly after winning the Oak Leaf Stakes (G2) at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 4 at Santa Anita finishing second, beaten only three-quarters of a length, in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at 1 1/16 miles Oct. 31 at Del Mar.

Explora was exiting a runner-up finish in the Las Virgenes Stakes at one mile Feb. 8 at Santa Anita. She was ridden for the first time Sunday by Prat.

Explora races for longtime Baffert clients Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman. Explora ($1,064,250) eclipsed $1 million in career earnings with her fourth victory from seven starts. Explora was purchased for $350,000 in May at Fasig-Tipton’s Midlantic Two-Year-Olds in Training Sale.

The Honeybee offered 105 total points (50-25-15-10-5, respectively) to the top five finishers toward starting eligibility for the Kentucky Oaks, the country’s biggest race for 3-year-old fillies. The Honeybee, which carried a record purse in 2026, was the final local prep for the $1 million Fantasy Stakes (G2) March 27. The Fantasy is also 1 1/16 miles.

Honeybee Quotes

Winning Trainer Bob Baffer via Phone (Explora): “She was coming into this race the best she’s ever looked. We’re pretty proud of her effort. I was hoping that she would run that way and she showed up. It’s nice when they run like you hope.”

Winning Jockey Flavien Prat (Explora): “She was a real pro. We had a good draw. She jumped well and I was able to get her right off the pace and (was) traveling well all the way around. When she turned for home and I asked her, she gave me a good run. And at that point, I didn’t think anybody was going to make a run at her and Counting Stars came. And as soon as she felt her, she just regrouped and went on, so that’s a good sign.”

Winning Co-Owner Mike Pegram (Explora): “It feels pretty good. Beautiful day. She’s a beautiful horse and we got a good win today. We’re thinking about May and Churchill Downs (Kentucky Oaks) and she looked the part today. Hopefully, we can get there.”

Second-Place Jockey Francisco Arrieta (Counting Stars): “Definitely ran her race today. She’s back and I’m happy for that. I mean, she ran a huge race today. We were expecting that in the race before (Martha Washington) and she didn’t run well. She finished up running. Galloped out strong. She did a great job today. We got beat by a good horse.”

Eighth-Place Jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. (Taken By the Wind): “She was in the outside post today and kind of broke out. After that, I tried to get her engaged in the race and she was really aggressive the first part and emptied out on me late.”