Nimah favored to extend Baffert’s Starlet dominance

Dec 05, 2025 Kellie Reilly/Brisnet.com

Nimah, shown training at Santa Anita, tops Bob Baffert's trio in the Starlet (G2) (Photo by Horsephotos.com)

Bob Baffert has won the Starlet (G2) a grand total of 11 times, including the past eight years in a row, and the Hall of Fame trainer is poised to extend that streak in Saturday’s $200,000 renewal at Los Alamitos.

Not only does Baffert train half of the six-filly field, but his three rank as the leading contenders in the Road to the Kentucky Oaks scoring race.

Zedan Racing Stables’ Nimah, the 6-5 favorite on the morning line, just won on debut at Del Mar in front-running fashion. The $550,000 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling purchase flashed plenty of speed in that sprint maiden, but her pedigree suggests that she can stretch out to 1 1/16 miles here.  By Gun Runner and out of a mare by A.P. Indy, Nimah drew the outside post 6, and it’s notable that Juan Hernandez stays aboard.

“Sometimes we forget how blessed we are”

Our new ‘23 Gun Runner filly is named Nimah, which means grace or blessing in Arabic. We are ecstatic to see what she does on the track!@Three_Chimneys pic.twitter.com/G1uZnzpQcU

— Zedan Racing Stables, Inc (@ZedanRacing) August 12, 2025

Baffert has another first-out winner in Juddmonte’s homebred Consequent. The Into Mischief filly rallied from off the pace in a one-mile maiden at Del Mar, giving her valuable two-turn experience in advance of the Starlet. A full sister to multiple stakes victress Show Card, who captured last year’s Dark Mirage S. at this track, Consequent is listed at 3-1 with Kazushi Kimura.

Stablemate Himika, a $900,000 OBS April juvenile, brings the most stakes experience to bear. The Baoma Corp. colorbearer was an impressive winner of the Sorrento (G3) at Del Mar and the Anoakia S. at Santa Anita. But both of those victories came at six furlongs, and despite being a daughter of Curlin, she has lost all her starts going further. In her only attempt at this distance, Himika faded to fifth in the Oak Leaf (G2). Tyler Baze picks up the mount on the 5-2 chance, who will break from the rail.

Trainer Doug O’Neill sends out the 8-1 duo of Cosmic Heat and Cashed, both stakes-placed at seven furlongs.

Cosmic Heat, from the first crop of $2 million-earner Maxfield, just switched to the O’Neill barn. In her prior start for original trainer Peter Eurton, she closed well for third in the Desi Arnaz S. to Revera and Himika. The added ground should benefit her.

Cashed takes the blinkers off after finishing second in the Golden State Juvenile Fillies in California-restricted company. The Reddam Racing homebred takes a step up in class as well as distance here. Her sire, I’ll Have Another, turned the Kentucky Derby (G1)/Preakness (G1) double in 2012 for the same connections.

Rounding out the field is longshot Jewlz, who exits a photo-finish win in a $32,000 maiden claimer for Peter Miller.

The Starlet offers points toward the Kentucky Oaks on the 10-5-3-2-1 format to the top five finishers. Carded as the eighth race at Los Alamitos, it is set for 7:02 p.m. ET, and you can watch and wager at TwinSpires.com.