Nothing Like You (Malibu Moon) gave Hall of Famer Bob Baffert a seventh straight victory in the GII Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Saturday evening.
Drawn on the rail in the field of six, the last-out Desi Arnaz S. winner was sent to the front by Juan Hernandez and was pressed through an opening quarter in :23.24. She gained some separation through a half mile in :47.40, let it out a notch on the far turn and ran up the score in the stretch to win by 5 1/4 lengths over Great Forty Eight (Constitution).
The latter was disqualified from second and placed fourth after shifting out and interfering with favored GII Chandelier S. winner Chatalas (Gun Runner) in the stretch. The maiden Flynn's Chance (Medaglia d'Oro), third across the line, was elevated to second.
Nothing Like You, a $67,000 KEENOV weanling, $20,000 KEESEP yearling and $190,000 OBSAPR juvenile, is campaigned in partnership by Georgia Antley Hunt, Jeff Giglio and John L. Rogitz.
“(Nothing Like You) was pretty fresh today because I backed off on her a bit because I'd just run her at Del Mar,” Baffert said. “Juan (Hernandez) said she popped out of there and he said nobody wanted the lead so he just took it.”
“Once I saw her on the backside with that long stride you could tell she was in control of the race,” Baffert said. “It took Nothing Like You a while to come around. She wasn't real quick. We knew once we stretched her out that would be her game. The longer the better for her.”
Nothing Like You earned her diploma by 6 1/2 lengths over the aforementioned Great Forty Eight while making her two-turn debut at fourth asking at Santa Anita Oct. 14. She turned back to seven furlongs to narrowly annex the Desi Arnaz S. at Del Mar last time Nov. 18.
“She's improving with every race and a distance is what she has always wanted,” Hernandez said. “She relaxed perfectly. I let her go at the head of the stretch and she took off.”
Pedigree Notes:
Nothing Like You, a $190,000 OBS April breezer (:10), becomes the 55th graded/group winner worldwide for the late leading sire Malibu Moon. She is the first graded winner and one of three stakes winners for her broodmare sire Brother Derek. A three-time stakes winner at Hastings, Nothing Like You's dam Miss Derek has also produced Tepin S. winner South of France (Quality Road). Nothing Like You is her most recent produce.
Saturday, Los Alamitos Thoroughbred
STARLET S.-GII, $200,500, Los Alamitos, 12-9, 2yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:44.78, ft.
1–NOTHING LIKE YOU, 120, f, 2, by Malibu Moon
1st Dam: Miss Derek (MSW-Can, SP-USA, $159,610), by Brother Derek
2nd Dam: Quick Text, by Tiznow
3rd Dam: Super Seniorita, by El Baba
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($67,000 Wlg '21 KEENOV; $20,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP; $190,000 2yo '23 OBSAPR). O-Georgia Antley Hunt, Jeff Giglio and John L. Rogitz; B-Notch Hill Farm, Wolverton Mountain Farm & Spendthrift Stallions, LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Juan J. Hernandez. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-1-0, $237,160. *1/2 to South of France (Quality Road), SW,
$156,005. Werk Nick Rating: B. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Flynn's Chance, 120, f, 2, Medaglia d'Oro–Venetian Sonata, by Bernardini. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. ($675,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Spendthrift Farm LLC; B-Stonehaven Steadings (KY); T-Richard E. Mandella. $40,000.
3–Chatalas, 120, f, 2, Gun Runner–Indian Safari, by Indian Charlie. O-Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Dan Agnew and William Chatalas; B-Dan Agnew (KY); T-Mark Glatt. $24,000.
Margins: 5 1/4, 2, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.10, 17.10, 1.80.
Also Ran: Great Forty Eight, Pacific Rose, Grazia.
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
NOTHING LIKE YOU ($6.20) pulls away from trouble in the stretch and takes the GII 🏆 Starlet at @LosAlRacing with @JJHernandezS19 in the saddle for @BobBaffert's seventh straight win in the stakes. Congratulations to owners Hunt, Giglio or Rogitz! pic.twitter.com/SpCPA3xX4D
— TVG (@TVG) December 10, 2023
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
