Santa Anita wrap: Nothing Like You, Ag Bullet get graded wins
Star international jockey Frankie Dettori won his fifth consecutive race at Santa Anita on Saturday when guiding Nothing Like You to a dominant victory in the G2, $300,000 Santa Anita Oaks going 1 1/16 miles.
Dispatched at 7-1 in a five-horse field, Dettori and Nothing Like You saved ground while stalking the pace, surged through along the rail at the top of the stretch and then drew off to win by 7 1/2 lengths. Left in their wake was previously undefeated stablemate Kinza, the 1-2 favorite, who set the pace under Juan Hernandez but proved no match in the stretch.
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Nothing Like You is trained by Bob Baffert, who won his fourth Santa Anita Oaks. Last year Baffert won with Faiza. Kinza, also trained by Baffert, held on for second by a half-length over a rallying Corposo (12-1). Kopion, the 2-1 second choice with Mike Smith up, was another eight lengths back in fourth.
“We were lucky enough to have a decent break and got in a good position, where I wasn’t getting any of the kick back,” Dettori said from the winner’s circle.” I was fully loaded at the quarter pole. I just needed a little bit of room and she took off. What can you say about Baffert? He’s a genius. We have a good working relationship. He trains them and I ride them.”
Ifuaintifrsturlast, a 35-1 long shot for trainer Val Brinkerhoff, was eased across the wire by jockey Tyler Baze. Earlier at Aqueduct, another Brinkerhoff 3-year-old filly, Santa Anita-based Where’s My Ring, won the Gazelle (G3) to earn a berth in next month’s Kentucky Oaks (G1).
The Santa Anita Oaks would have been worth 100-50-25-15-10 Kentucky Oaks qualifying points to the five finishers. Because the first two were trained by Baffert, those points were vacated.
Kinza, 3-for-3 before Saturday, set fractions of 23.42, 46.88 and 1:10.72 for six furlongs with Kopion lapped to her outside. Nothing Like You found racing room on the rail and blew past the pair, reached the furlong marker in 1:36.64 and then cruised under the wire to win in a final time of 1:43.21 for 1 1/16 miles on a fast track.
This was Dettori’s second stakes win of the day. In the fifth race, the $125,000 Evening Jewel, he piloted Roberta’s Love to 9-1 upset victory for trainer Hector Palma.
For Nothing Like You, this was her fourth win seven starts for owners Georgia Antley Hunt, Jeff Giglio and John Rogitz. The daughter of Malibu Moon has three stakes wins and $423,160 in earnings. Most recently Nothing Like You faced Kinza and Kopion in the Las Virgenes (G3) on March 10 at Santa Anita and proved no match for that pair. She finished fourth, 12 3/4 lengths behind winner Kinza. Kopion was second by two lengths. Her prior stakes scores came in the Starlet (G2) at Los Alamitos on Dec. 9 and the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz at Del Mar Nov. 18.
Nothing Like You paid $16.40, $3.80 and $3.60. Kinza returned $2.20 and $2.10. Corposo, who was ridden by Diego Herrera for trainer Peter Eurton, paid $4.00 to show.
Ag Bullet wins by 1 1/2 in Monrovia
Favorite Ag Bullet made it two stakes wins in a row for trainer Richard Baltas with a comfortable victory in the $100,000 Monrovia Stakes (G3) for older fillies and mares on the hillside turf course.
Ag Bullet (3-2) and jockey Umberto Rispoli dueled on the front end with 2-1 second choice Gracelund Gray through fractions of 21.78 and 43.76 seconds for the opening half mile. Ag Bullet edged to the lead when passing the dirt crossing into the stretch and easily held off the late challengers to score by 1 1/2 lengths.
The winning time was 1:12.67 for about 6 1/2 furlongs on firm turf. Miss Lizzy (13-1) under Hector Berrios rallied for second. Getthemoney (3-1) and Frankie Dettori were another head back in third.
Owned by Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran, Ag Bullet improved her record to 6: 4-0-0. As a 3-year-old last year, when trained by George Papaprodromou, Ag Bullet earned her first stakes win in the one-mile Lady of Shamrock at Santa Anita in February. She made just one more start a month later at Turfway Park before being sidelined for the remainder of the year.
Ag Bullet returned Feb. 25 with Baltas as trainer in in the restricted Wishing Well Stakes on the hillside turf course. She promptly scored by 1 1/2 lengths at 3-1 under Rispoli.
Ag Bullet paid $5.00, $3.20 and $2.40. Miss Lizzy, trained by Doug O’Neill, returned $8.20 and $4.00. Getthemoney, trained by Brian Koriner, paid $3.40 to show.
By Twirling Candy, Ag Bullet was purchased for $200,000 at the 2022 Keeneland September yearling sale. With the $60,000 winner’s share of the purse, she pushed her earnings to $230,300.