Nothing Like You, Red-Hot Dettori Take Santa Anita Oaks

Frankie Dettori's run of four consecutive wins at Santa Anita Park April 6 was supposed to come to a full stop in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1). He was riding Nothing Like You , the "other" Bob Baffert horse, against Baffert's 1-2 favorite, undefeated Kinza , and Richard Mandella-trained Kopion , the latter perfect except for one loss against Kinza.

But Dettori can win anywhere in the world, on any racetrack, of any configuration. So when he ever-so-deftly cut the corner turning for home on a filly raring to go, Nothing Like You responded like a rising star, shot through the opening, and proceeded to pull away by 7 1/2 widening lengths.

The performance demanded one of Dettori's famous flying dismounts, but no one told Nothing Like You. She danced around the winner's circle, requiring a few turns, before Dettori could complete the maneuver. If ever a race needed that flourish, the Oaks was it. 

Going into the 1 1/16-mile Oaks, Kinza and Kopion, both graded winners, appeared to have the Exacta sewn up. Kinza was 3-for-3 while Kopion was 2-for-3, losing only the Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) to Kinza. Nothing Like You, who finished her 2-year-old season with victories in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar and Starlet Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos Race Course, had finished fourth in the Las Virgenes in her first 2024 start and first under Dettori's guidance.

Kinza, who has set the pace in almost every call of her three starts, winged on the lead again, with Kopion only a length behind. Kinza has a tendency to get excited before her races, however, and Baffert later said that he was worried.

"She really got worked up today going to the gate," Baffert said. "They were pressuring her, and I knew that was going to happen. She just got tired."

Dettori sat in third, ready to go, and their move on the turn allowed Nothing Like You to storm home in 1:43.21. Kinza held on for second, a half-length in front of third-place Corposo , followed by Kopion and Ifuaintfirsturlast .

"I was fully loaded at the quarter pole," Dettori said. "I just needed a little bit of room and she took off."

A half-hour later, Dettori did it again, winning aboard Royal Charter  for trainer Leonard Powell at a mile on the turf to extend the streak to six. One of Dettori's earlier victories came on California-bred Roberta's Love  in the Evening Jewel Stakes. 

"When you use Dettori, you can't blame it on the jockey if the horse doesn't run well," Baffert said. "He's just a phenom. He is world-class and has brought his talent to every stage. I was watching him earlier—he's riding these Cal-breds no different than he would an Arc and an Ascot. He's just that good, but you have to give him the horse. And he had the horse to do it."

Baffert trains Nothing Like You for owners Georgia Antley Hunt, Jeff Giglio, and John Rogitz. Giglio, a self-described longtime handicapper from Escondido, Calif., was winning by far the biggest race of his career.

"This is a dream come true, to be part of the ownership," Giglio said. "To have Bob Baffert, Frankie Dettori on the horse, to win the Santa Anita Oaks—I've been playing horses for 50 years. I think I'm still shaking."

Giglio is part of a small ownership group, but he said, "I owned $2,500 claimers at Agua Caliente. I've never had a horse like this."

Rogitz bought Nothing Like You for $190,000 from Wildheart Thoroughbreds at the 2023 Ocala Breeders' Sales spring sale of 2-year-olds. Notch Hill Farm, Wolverton Mountain Farm, and Spendthrift Stallions bred Nothing Like You in Kentucky from the Brother Derek  mare Miss Derek , a three-time stakes winner at Hastings Park.

Nothing Like You is from the second-to-last crop of Malibu Moon , who died in 2021 at age 24. The stallion has sired such runners as 2013 Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Orb  and 2004 champion 2-year-old male Declan's Moon . Malibu Moon stood at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington prior to his death.

Video: Santa Anita Oaks (G2)

Ag Bullet Delivers Commanding Win in Monrovia

Calvin Nguyen and Joey Tran's Ag Bullet  took control quickly in the  6 1/2-furlong Monrovia Stakes (G3T) and effectively held off all challengers to win by 1 1/2 lengths April 6 at Santa Anita Park.

The 4-year-old daughter of Twirling Candy and jockey Umberto Rispoli led the seven-horse field through brisk fractions on Santa Anita's downhill turf course, stopping the time in :21.78, :43.76, and 1:06.45. After a half mile, the 3-2 favorite got headed briefly by Gracelund Grey but repelled that challenge and drew away. The final time was 1:12.67 with a late run from Miss Lizzy  getting her up for second and Getthemoney  holding steady in third throughout. Jockey Frankie Dettori ended his blazing streak of six wins on the day on Getthemoney.

Ag Bullet now has back-to-back stakes wins for trainer Richard Baltas, who took over as her conditioner this year. She came into the Monrovia off a 1 1/4-length win in the Wishing Well Stakes at the same distance at Santa Anita. The filly has four wins from six career starts and earned $230,300.