No matter who wins Horse of the Year honors, there is no doubt that last year was the season for the ladies and a new crop of potential stars will take that first step hopefully toward stardom this weekend at Santa Anita in the Santa Ynez Stakes.

Sophomore fillies will try to negotiate the 7 furlongs of the Pro Ride surface to cash in the Grade 2 $150,000 fixture and join legends like Silver Spoon, Susan's Girl, Serena's Song, Honest Lady and Indian Blessing on the winning roster.

Bob Baffert and John Sadler have won 4 of the last 6 runnings of this event and last year Sadler's Alpha Kitten was coming off a fourth in the Grade 1 Starlet and came from third to last to win going away while posting a 90 Beyer.

Two years ago Baffert watched his champion Indian Blessing win her 4th race in a row going wire to wire after setting a sub :44 half on her way to a 92 winning Beyer figure.

A total of 13 are nominated this year and they range from just maiden winners from Prairie Meadows, Churchill Downs, Woodbine and Hollywood Park to Grade 1 placed runners.

From A to W the hopefuls include Amen Hallelujah, a Richard Dutrow Jr. runner that chased likely champion She Be Wild in Kentucky and is coming off a third in Blind Luck's Hollywood Starlet score and Whispering Hush, who's only win came at a mile on the grass and who will have to invent a trip to win.

In between that pair are the following.

Church Camp has trained well in Arcadia since winning like a good thing in her Churchill debut. She has the blood to excel, as her dam is kin to near $800,000 earner Middlesex Drive.

Connections of Ellafitz, who won at first asking in a maiden claimer in Canada, are hoping she matureS like kin Andiamo, a near $250,000 earner. The concern here is that it's never easy to beat winners right back especially if you graduate for a tag.

Five Silver Stars is out of a non-winning dam that is kin to near $300,000 earner Keats and Yeats. She freaked in the lone race winning by 10 at Prairie Meadows but not sure she was beating anybody as the place horse took 3 more races to win and than cashed in a maiden $15,000 Hawthorne claimer.

Franny Freud has an experience edge on most in the field, has trained fast for this, and has only one poor effort on the slate and that was in the Grade 1 Frizette. She is coming off a muddy sprint win at the Big A but the splits this week figure much faster.

Haggai could not overcome a troubled start at 2-5 flopping in a Turf Paradise stakes and will have revenge as a motive.

La Nez has had her speed dulled in routes of late and although she has a bit of class, will have to run over, around or through horses to win.

Seeking the Queen is based in Northern California but if she shows she will be cutting back to her best trip and could get away on the tote.

Seriously looks up against it. Her lone score came at Pomona but the distance could be up her alley.

The perfect 2 for 2 slate will be on the line for She's Funomenal. Handled by Jerry Hollendorfer, this daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus has a right to have a solid career as kin to G3 Cowdin winner Fistfite and she proved in her last win she could overcome adversity.

Stockings and Switch are also trained by Sadler, are both coming off Maiden Special Weight wins and both have stalk and pounce styles.

How might it unfold? Seeking the Queen figures to make the lead with Franny Freud, She's Funomenal and Stockings keeping close tabs early.

At the top of the lane Amen Hallelujah and La Nez will be showing their class and making a move to the lead and when the prayers are all finished, 'Amen' will be greeting the cameraman.

Try to isolate a contender that has tactical speed and take a swing in the gimmicks.