Should Himika win the Dec. 6 Starlet Stakes (G2), she could add to some very impressive accomplishments. She would not only give trainer Bob Baffert his ninth consecutive victory in the Los Alamitos race, she would become the fifth to do so for owners Charlie and Susan Chu.
The Chus' Baoma Corporation also owned Starlet winners Tenma in 2024, Eda in 2021, Varda in 2020, and Bast in 2019. All but Bast came out of an Ocala Breeders' 2-Year-Old in Training Sale, as did Himika. The daughter of Curlin cost $900,000 at this year's OBS Spring Sale.
Since then, Himika has started six times, winning the six-furlong Sorrento Stakes (G3) Aug. 10 at Del Mar and six-furlong Anoakia Stakes Oct. 19 at Santa Anita Park. In between, Himika finished fourth in the seven-furlong Del Mar Debutante (G1) and fifth in the 1 1/16-mile Oak Leaf Stakes (G2).
"I was happy that she was back to winning form," Baffert said after the Anoakia. "She basically told us, no two turns for now, but maybe down the road."
Himika demonstrated that now may be that time after a second to Revera in the seven-furlong Desi Arnaz Stakes Nov. 16 at Del Mar. The Starlet is at 1 1/16 miles.
But as often happens in these stakes, the primary competition will come from within Himika's own barn. And Himika loses jockey Juan Hernandez, who has opted for another of Baffert's runner. Tyler Baze will ride Himika for the first time.
Hernandez will be aboard Nimah, a daughter of Gun Runner and a $550,000 yearling purchase at Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale in 2024. Zedan Racing Stables owns Nimah, who scored by 1 3/4 lengths in her only outing, a Nov. 23 maiden race at Del Mar, under Hernandez.
The jockey has also piloted the third Baffert Starlet entrant, Juddmonte's homebred Consequent. A daughter of Into Mischief , Consequent is one-for-one as well, having taken a Nov. 14 maiden contest at Del Mar by a half-length. Kazushi Kimura takes over from Hernandez.
Trainer Doug O'Neill has entered two in the Starlet: Cashed and Cosmic Heat. Cosmic Heat is new to O'Neill's barn, having been trained by Peter Eurton in her two previous starts. The daughter of Maxfield finished third in the Desi Arnaz after breaking her maiden. Cashed is a winning California-bred daughter of the Reddams' champion I'll Have Another, and she most recently finished second in the Oct. 31 Golden State Juvenile Fillies Stakes at Del Mar for Cal-bred and California-sired runners. O'Neill is taking blinkers off Cashed for the Starlet.
Jewlz, trained by Peter Miller, rounds out the field. The daughter of Bee Jersey most recently broke her maiden in her fifth start, getting the job done in $32,000 maiden-claiming company Nov. 22 at Del Mar.
LOS ALAMITOS RACE COURSE, Saturday, December 6, 2025, Race 8Entries: Starlet S. (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 Himika (KY) Tyler Baze 120 Bob Baffert - 2 Cashed (CA) Tiago Josue Pereira 120 Doug F. O'Neill - 3 Consequent (KY) Kazushi Kimura 120 Bob Baffert - 4 Cosmic Heat (KY) Armando Ayuso 120 Doug F. O'Neill - 5 Jewlz (KY) Ricardo Gonzalez 120 Peter Miller - 6 Nimah (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 120 Bob Baffert -
