In a four-horse field where trainers Bob Baffert and Tim Yakteen accounted for the entire group, it was Silent Law (f, 2, Tiz the Law–Southern Silence, by Dixie Union) who put the pedal to the metal and never gave her foes a chance in the Anoakia Stakes at Santa Anita.
In front right from the jump, the heavy 2-5 favorite rolled along on the lead while under a tight hold by Juan Hernandez through :21.64 and :44.65 opening splits. Entering the lane with a two-length buffer, Practical Dream (Practical Joke) tried to make a race of it, but just couldn't run down the long-time leader. The final margin was 3 1/2 lengths on the wire.
Practical Dream held second over stablemate Proud Starlet (Mendelssohn) while 'TDN Rising Star' Casalu (Caracaro) finished fourth. Silent Law is Tiz the Law's fifth stakes winner.
There was a Stewards' Inquiry involving the entire field focusing on the shuffle shortly after the jump, but no change was made to the running order.
“She is extremely quick. [Juan] said she broke and just takes off,” said Bob Baffert. “She wouldn't relax so he was trying to hold her back as much as he could. I'm thinking maybe we take the blinkers off her, maybe that will settle her down. I think it was pretty impressive as fast as she went early she kept going. There's a lot of talent there. We just have to harness the speed a little better.”
“We will let her decide on races, right now I think there's a race at Del Mar we might run her there. She will let us know.”
Commenting on Casalu's performance, Baffert added, “My other horse, the dirt hit her, and she didn't like that, so we will put her back on the turf. I just had to know for sure if it was turf or dirt with her.”
Silent Law, who brought $400,000 as a 2-year-old in-training at OBSOPN this summer, is the fifth stakes runner for her dam, whose other black type horses found their success on the Ohio circuits. Her half-sister Esplanande foaled a 2024 filly by Flightline this season. Southern Silence most recently produced a 2024 colt by Uncle Mo and went to Practical Joke for 2025. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
#5 SILENT LAW ($2.80) is 2-for-2 with a win in the $85,000 Anoakia Stakes at @santaanitapark. The juvenile Tiz The Law (@CoolmoreAmerica) filly was ridden by @JJHernandezS19 for trainer @BobBaffert. pic.twitter.com/DBd7tBZYIf
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) October 25, 2024
ANOAKIA S., $90,584, Santa Anita, 10-25, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:11.11, ft.
1–SILENT LAW, 120, f, 2, by Tiz the Law
1st Dam: Southern Silence, by Dixie Union
2nd Dam: Silence Dogood, by Grand Slam
3rd Dam: Crystal Vous, by Crystal Water
($80,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $190,000 RNA 2yo '24 OBSAPR; $400,000 2yo '24 OBSOPN). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-CSLR Racing Partners LLC; B-Newstead Corp (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $55,460. Lifetime Record: 2-2-0-0, $79,460. *1/2 to Liberate (Gemologist), MSW, $367,466; 1/2 to Esplanande (Daredevil), MSW & GISP, $330,030.
2–Practical Dream, 120, f, 2, Practical Joke–Imforeal, by In Excess (Ire). ($130,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $210,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Amestoy, Leslie A., Amestoy, Jr., Pierre Jean and Roger K. Beasley; B-Gary Broad – Walmac Farm, LLC (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. $18,486.
3–Proud Starlet, 120, f, 2, Mendelssohn–Proud Heroine, by Proud Citizen. ($35,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $220,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE. O-Zachary A. and Trevor Smith; B-George Krikorian (KY); T-Tim Yakteen. $11,092.
Margins: 3HF, 3/4, HF. Odds: 0.40, 3.20, 14.60.
Also Ran: Casalu. Scratched: Mawu.
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