Nothing Like You controls Starlets at Los Alamitos

Trainer Bob Baffert made it seven consecutive $200,500 Starlets, as Nothing Like You shone brightly at Los Alamitos.

Stretched back to two turns a month after she had rallied to win by a nose going seven furlongs in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar, the 2-year-old Malibu Moon filly established the lead from inside.

Juan Hernandez kept her going in comfort to stamp out a 5.4 length lead from Flynn's Chance 17-1, and Chatalas 9-5. This win was the second in three years for Juan Hernandez, who also scored with Eda in 2021.

“She's improving with every race and distance is what she has always wanted,'' said Juan after his record 15th daytime Thoroughbred stakes strike at Los Alamitos. “She relaxed perfectly. I let her go at the head of the stretch and she took off.''

Great Forty Eight, who was second under the wire as the longest shot in the field at 29-1, was disqualified and placed fourth for shifting out under left-handed encouragement from apprentice jockey J.G. Torrealba and impeding Chatalas, the 9-5 favourite, with about an eighth of a mile to go.

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Star Guitar gelding Touchuponastar (Tim Thornton 2-1), chapped the Louisiana Champions Day Classic for the second straight year at Fair Grounds.

Set-Hut's phenom, Touchuponastar, set the pace and turned back Tumbarumba's far-turn bid. The 4-year-old Star Guitar gelding out of the Lion Heart mare Touch Magic was bred by Coteau Grove, along with the second-and third-place finishers, Tumbarumba and Cosmic Train.

When the top two Classic finishers went eyeball to eyeball in the far turn, it was only a matter of a few strides before Touchuponastar put Tumbarumba away and quickly took an insurmountable three-length advantage. Tumbarumba never stopped trying to re-engage, making up ground late.

Trained by Jeff Delhomme, Touchuponastar made it by 1.4 lengths, covering the 1 1/8 miles in 1:50.1/10.

The classy master got away clean, so nothing could match his speed. With a lifetime record of 13-10-2-1 and $618,100 in purses, the question remains could former NFL quarterback Jake Delhomme's Touchuponastar step out of Louisiana and take on top stakes routers.

Set-Hut's Louisiana success continued later on the card as Mangum (Corie Lanarie), surged late to nab the $100,000 Sprint.

Finishing a half-length back, Bron and Brow survived a steward's review to secure place honours. Trained by Jeff Delhomme, Mangum covered the six furlongs in 1:10.8/10.

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Ova Charged Survives Photo For Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint Threepeat, employing her signature stalking speed, Ova Charged beat Basalt Street by a thin lip to take her third $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Ladies Sprint in a row. Stablemate Spirited Beauty ran third.

Together with Behemah Star's Turf win, Brittlyn Stable added two on the day for a record 17 Louisiana Champions Day niceties in 33 years of running.

Shane Wilson's trainee, ran the six furlongs in 1:10.6/10, at 7-5 under jockey Jose Guerrero

Free Like Q Girl Wires Distaff, leading the pack of fillies at every call, she proved much better, wiring the $100,000 Louisiana Champions Day Distaff.

Holding off all advances, she rolled down the homestretch as A G's Charlotte scrambled to get second. She clocked 11/16 miles in 1:44:4/9.

Trainer Chasey Pomier had entered the versatile filly in both the Distaff and the Sprint, and just like ahead of her score last out in the Doris Hebert, it was a last-minute decision.

With Vicente Del-Cid back in the irons, Free Like a Girl covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.49.