Explora

Explora won her career debut outing as a 2-year-old on Aug. 17, 2025, when she won a maiden race going 5 1/2 furlongs by 4 3/4 lengths. She immediately took on stakes competition in her second lifetime start and was second by a length in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante on Sept. 6.

Explora stretched out for her third career start which came in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 $200,000 Oak Leaf Stakes presented by Oak Tree and was victorious by 4 1/4 lengths in a runaway atop a six-horse field. The Oak Leaf was a Breeders' Cup Challenge series "Win and You're In" race offering an automatic berth into the NetJets Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Sent off as the favorite in the $2 million NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Oct. 31 at Del Mar, Explora finished willingly for second behind front-running winner Super Corredora.

Explora took a short break after the Breeders' Cup and began her 3-year-old campaign on Jan. 10, 2026, in the Grade 3 $100,000 Santa Ynez Stakes going seven furlongs at Santa Anita where she easily took care of business with a last-to-first closing 5 1/4-length victory atop a four-horse field. The filly followed that with a second-place finish to Meaning in the one-mile Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita Feb. 8, and then trainer Bob Baffert shipped her to Oaklawn Park for the March 1 Honeybee Stakes, a Longines Kentucky Oaks prep. After pressing the pace, Explora spurted clear at the top of the stretch of the 1 1/16-mile Honeybee and kept late challenger Counting Stars at bay to notch her fourth career win in seven starts.

In the May 1 Kentucky Oaks, Explora set the early pace and tired in the stretch but still finished a solid fourth, defeated by 2 ½ lengths. She was shortened up to seven furlongs and one turn for her next start of 2026, and responded with a 1 ¼-length win in the Leslie’s Lady Stakes June 7 at Churchill Downs.

Explora scored her sixth lifetime win and first career graded stakes win in the Grade 1 Test Stakes going seven furlongs at Saratoga on Aug. 8. Sent off as the 1.87-1 favorite atop a field of eight 3-year-old fillies in the Test, Explora sat right off the leaders for much of the race until making a decisive move to the lead into the top of the lane. She increased her margin through the stretch run and crossed the wire five lengths in front in impressive fashion.

Explora was bred in Kentucky by the sire Blame out of the mare Collections Choice by Bernardini.