How to bet the 2025 Starlet Stakes

Conditioner Bob Baffert will saddle three of the six juvenile fillies set to go postward in the $200,000 Starlet S. (G2) at Los Alamitos on Saturday. Of his trio, I will give top billing to smart debut winner #6 Nimah (6-5) in the affair. 

Starlet Wagers

• $20 exacta 6 with 3 ($20)
• $10 exacta 6 with 1 ($10)
• $5 trifecta key 6 with 1,3 ($10)

By Gun Runner, the lass brought the gavel down at $550,000 as a yearling at Saratoga and was unveiled at Del Mar on Nov. 23. The March foal was bet down to 7-10 odds in her sprint debut and didn’t disappoint with a gate-to-wire score over an intriguing prospect who finished 10 lengths clear of third. She returned with a solid five-furlong move at Santa Anita on Monday, and I expect her to improve on this occasion. Nimah has a lot of stamina influences on her dam’s side and should appreciate the added ground with go-to pilot Juan Hernandez on board.  

#3 Consequent (3-1), also from the Baffert shedrow, was far from professional in her first performance, but the well-bred lass graduated while going a route of ground and will benefit from it in this one. By top sire Into Mischief, the Juddmonte homebred ran in spots in the tilt, and she didn’t topple the deepest field of all time. Still, I feel she can be an excellent prospect with further seasoning. The bay figures to receive a drama-free voyage in the compact field and will do her best running late beneath Kaz Kimura. 

Grade 3 victress #1 Himika (5-2) flopped in her lone try at two turns in advance of Saturday, but the Curlin filly has had a nice two-year-old season and deserves another chance at routing. The $900,000 juvenile purchase was a game runner-up in a seven-furlong stakes run at Del Mar most recently and looked like she could have run farther on that day. I’m not confident that she will be at her absolute best at 1 1/16 miles, but she is classy and has to be included in the exotics from the rail with Tyler Baze picking up the mount. The filly will be forcing the pace from the start.