Nothing Like You gives Baffert 7th straight win in Starlet

Nothing Like You grabbed the lead out of the gate and stayed in front to the wire to win Grade 2, $200,000 Starlet Stakes on Saturday at Los Alamitos, giving Hall of Fame trainer his seventh straight victory in the race for 2-year-old fillies.

Under Juan Hernandez, Nothing Like You, a daughter of Malibu Moon out of the Brother Derek mare Miss Derek, dueled for the lead to the first turn in the 1 1/16-mile race before putting her neck in front of Chandelier (G2) winner Chatalas rounding the bend through opening fractions of 47.40 seconds and 1:12.20. Baffert's other entrant, Grazia, and Great Forty Eight raced close behind as Pacific Rose and Flynn's Chance brought up the rear in the six-horse field.  

Baffert said afterward he was surprised that Nothing Like You showed as much early speed as she did.

"I thought my other filly would be on the lead," he said. "(Nothing Like You) was pretty fresh today because I’d backed off on her a bit because I’d just run her at Del Mar (on Nov. 10). Juan 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." 

Nothing Like You widened the lead to a length up the backstretch before Chatalas and a keen Great Forty Eight moved to challenge entering the far turn. But Nothing Like You responded to the pressure and opened a two-length lead entering the home stretch as Chatalas and Great Forty Eight battled for second. 

At the wire, Nothing Like You was 5 1/4 lengths clear of Great Forty Eight while stopping the clock at 1:44.78. The latter, who shifted out sharply in mid-stretch and bumped Chatalas off stride, held on for second ahead of a closing Flynn's Chance, with Chatalas fading to fourth.

The inquiry sign was lit soon after the horses crossed the wire, resulting minutes later in the stewards disqualifying Great Forty Eight from second to fourth for interfering with Chatalas. The revised order of finish was Nothing Like You, Flynn's Chance, Chatalas, Great Forty Eight, Pacific Rose and Grazia, in that order. 

The winner, the third choice in the wagering at 2.10-1, returned $6.20 on a $2 win bet and keyed a $1 exacta payout of $29.60.

Hernandez said after the race that the future looks bright for Nothing Like You.  

“She’s improving with every race, and a distance is what she has always wanted," he said. "She relaxed perfectly. I let her go at the head of the stretch and she took off.’’

In winning for the third time in six starts for owners Georgia Antley Hunt, Jeff Giglio and John L. Rogitz, Nothing Like You more than doubled her earnings to $237,160. She was purchased for $190,000 by Rogitz at the Ocala 2-year-olds in training sale in April.