Tenma gives Baffert 8th consecutive triumph in Starlet

Bouncing back from her first loss when she went with blinkers for the first time, Tenma outdueled Look Forward in the homestretch Saturday and prevailed by 1 3/4 lengths in the Grade 2, $201,000 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos.

It was Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert’s eighth consecutive win in the Kentucky Oaks (G1) points prep.

Click here for Los Alamitos entries and results.

A Nyquist filly owned by Charles Chu’s Baoma Corp and ridden by Juan Hernández, Tenma (5-2) ran her record to 3-for-3 when going without blinkers.

“The blinkers off really helped,” Hernández said. “She relaxed really well.”

Tenma and eventual runner-up Look Forward (7-1), who was a $7,500 supplement into the race, took turns on the lead through most of the 1 1/16-mile race. Tenma led through a quarter-mile in 23.41 and a half-mile in 48.25 seconds. Look Forward, a Bolt d’Oro filly ridden by Mario Gutiérrez for trainer Michael McCarthy, had a narrow edge through three-quarters of a mile in 48.25 and 1:13.56.

As the field turned into the long, 460-yard homestretch, Tenma got her nose in front and moved to the outside of Look Forward as they drew away from the other five 2-year-old fillies. Look Forward looked like she might hold the advantage as Tenma veered out, but Hernández kept urging. Tenma responded and drew off in the last 50 yards.

After a mile in 1:32.81, the winning time was 1:44.16 on the fast main track. It was the slowest running of the race since it was moved from Hollywood Park beginning in 2014.

Post-time favorite Vodka With a Twist (8-5), trained by Phil D’Amato and ridden by Kyle Frey, was third, another nine lengths up the track. They were followed by the Baffert-trained pair Mawu (16-1) in fourth and Nooni (7-2) in fifth. Practical Dream (24-1) and supplemented Aunt Mo (9-1) completed the finish in that order.

Tenma paid $7.00, $4.00 and $2.60; Look Forward $6.60 and $3.60; and Vodka With a Twist $2.60.

An $850,000 purchase at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale auction in April, Tenma was a neck winner in her 5 1/2-furlong debut Aug. 18 at Del Mar, where she won by a nose 20 days later in the seven-furlong Del Mar Futurity (G1). In her first time trying two turns and with blinkers added, she tired to a distant third in the Oak Leaf (G2) on Oct. 5 at Santa Anita.

Tenma has a record of 4: 3-0-1. With the $120,000 that came along with the win, her earnings rose to $369,000.

For the top five finishers, the Starlet was worth 10-5-3-2-1 points toward qualifying for the Kentucky Oaks on May 2 at Churchill Downs.