Nothing Like You pulls of upset against stablemate Kinza in Santa Anita Oaks

ARCADIA, Calif. – There was no one like Frankie Dettori on Saturday at Santa Anita, as the jockey rode six straight winners, including an upset in the Grade 2 Santa Anita Oaks.

Nothing Like You ($16.40) and Dettori won the Oaks by 7 1/2 lengths over odds-on stablemate Kinza, who is also trained by Bob Baffert. The Oaks result was unexpected by bettors, and the entire program was unexpected by Dettori, who only knew it would be a busy day.

“I woke up [Saturday] morning, and thought 'oh my god, I’m 53, I can’t remember riding 11 races in a day, I hope I can make it', ” he said laughingly after the Oaks.

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Halfway through the Saturday card, Dettori was making it just fine. He won his sixth straight a race after the Oaks, riding Royal Charter to victory in an allowance race.

In her previous start, Nothing Like You finished more than 12 lengths behind Kinza two months ago in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes. Nothing Like You disliked the kickback that race, and Dettori knew tactics must change in the Santa Anita Oaks.

“The kickback” was the difference in the Oaks, Dettori said. “She was slow out last time, and I couldn’t get close enough. She’s a big unit, and today she jumped.”

Nothing Like you broke well, and Dettori positioned her third on the rail. She was close enough to pacesetter Kinza to avoid kickback. Entering the far turn, Dettori knew he was in a good spot.

“At the three-eighths pole, I saw everybody pushing and I was still loaded,” Dettori said. Kinza drifted off the rail, and Dettori pulled the trigger on Nothing Like Nothing. “I got the split, and she delivered.”

Nothing Like You ran away, getting the 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.21. Kinza, finished a half-length in front of Corposo. Kopion and Ifuaintfirsturlast completed the order of finish in the five-horse field.

The 1-2 favorite Kinza, a high-strung filly who won her first three starts by open lengths, was unsettled in the pre-race. “She was a little hot in the post parade,” jockey Juan Hernandez said. “She never settled. She lost a little bit of the race in the post parade.”

As for Dettori, who once swept a seven-race card at Ascot, he was thrilled with his Saturday winners.

“It’s one of our biggest days, five straight wins in front of a big crowd,” he said prior to his sixth win. “I’m delighted for myself, and a lot of people behind me. Lots of cheering, nothing better than that.”

The Santa Anita Oaks will have no influence on the Kentucky Oaks picture. The one-two finishers are trained by Baffert, who is currently barred from Churchill Downs.

Nothing Like You, who won the Grade 2 Starlet at Los Alamitos in December, has won four of eight starts. Sired by Malibu Moon, she is owned by Georgia Hunt, Jeff Giglio, and John Rogitz.

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