Chandelier Winner Chatalas Faces Baffert Duo in Starlet

Chatalas  will get the chance to live up to the promise of her Chandelier Stakes (G2) victory at Santa Anita Park in the Dec. 9 Starlet Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos Race Couse. The 2-year-old filly will meet five others, including two promising runners from the Bob Baffert barn.

In the Oct. 7 Chandelier, which, like the $200,000 Starlet is 1 1/16 miles, Chatalas turned in a sparkling performance for trainer Mark Glatt while leading wire to wire. Squeezed back at the start of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), the daughter of Gun Runner   lost all chance, never being able to get into the race and finishing ninth.

Chatalas won first time out at Del Mar July 30 and then finished fourth in the Sept. 9 Del Mar Debutante (G1). Jockey Antonio Fresu took over in the Chandelier and Breeders’ Cup, and he is set to return in the Starlet from post 5.

“She’s been pretty forward from the start,” said Glatt after the Chandelier.

The trainer does not feel Chatalas has to have the lead, saying, “I think she’s better off with a target.”

She races for owners Rancho Temescal Thoroughbred Partners, Dan Agnew and William Chatalas.

Starlet Statistics

• Glatt will be looking for his first Starlet win, a tough assignment considering Baffert’s record.
• Baffert won the race three times when it was known as the Hollywood Starlet and conducted at Hollywood Park. Since the stakes was moved to Los Alamitos in 2014 upon Hollywood Park’s closure, Baffert runners have taken the event the past six consecutive years.
• The Starlet was one of six races downgraded this year from grade 1 status by the American Graded Stakes Committee. It offers qualifying points to its top-five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale toward the 2024 Kentucky Oaks (G1) at Churchill Downs, though Baffert horses are ineligible for points due to the extended ban of the trainer by Churchill Downs Inc.

Baffert has two excellent opportunities to win Saturday’s race, bringing one experienced filly and another with much promise.

Nothing Like You , who will be making her sixth start, has back-to-back wins, in a Santa Anita maiden race at a two-turn mile and the Nov. 18 Desi Arnaz Stakes at Del Mar when racing seven furlongs. The daughter of Malibu Moon  has the services of Southern California perennial leading rider Juan Hernandez from the rail.

Noses apart on the wire!

Nothing Like You & @JJHernandezS19 get up in the final strides to capture the Desi Arnaz Stakes. pic.twitter.com/ALaOE3DFV6

— Del Mar Racetrack (@DelMarRacing) November 18, 2023

Hernandez also piloted Grazia , Baffert’s other Starlet entrant, in her only start, a six-furlong maiden race at Del Mar Nov. 12. Sent away as the 2-5 favorite, Grazia pulled away to score by 3 1/4 lengths while switching leads down the stretch. With Hernandez sticking with Nothing Like You, Flavien Prat takes over on Grazia, a daughter of Uncle Mo  .

Great Forty Eight , a daughter of Constitution   trained by Tim Yakteen, broke her maiden on the same card as Grazia but at a mile. She sat in second, several lengths back of front-running Elegant , for much of the race, taking command in the second turn and scoring by 1 3/4 lengths. J.G. Torrealba has ridden Great Forty Eight in three of her four outings, and Yakteen has named him again as they drew post 4.

Pacific Rose  and Flynn’s Chance  are still maidens. Pacific Rose, trained by Doug O’Neill, finished fourth in the Chandelier and has the services of Joel Rosario from post 2. Flynn’s Chance, in her second outing, ran third to Great Forty Eight Nov. 12. Her regular rider, Umberto Rispoli, is back from post 3 for Hall of Fame trainer Richard Mandella.