Consequent Gives Baffert Ninth Consecutive Starlet

Even with the scratch of two-time stakes winner Himika, trainer Bob Baffert won his ninth straight Starlet Stakes (G2) at Los Alamitos Race Course Dec. 6. Consequent, a homebred for Juddmonte, scored over California-bred Cashed in the 1 1/16-mile race for 2-year-old fillies. With Himika out, Baffert had two entrants in Consequent and Nimah. Both sported 1-for-1 records with jockey Juan Hernandez aboard. Hernandez opted for Nimah, who went off as the 2-5 favorite in the Starlet over 5-2 Consequent, ridden by Kazushi Kimura. Cashed, stakes-placed against California-bred company, led for much of the early going, with Nimah not far behind. Consequent raced in third behind Cashed's fractions of :23.52, :48.01, and 1:12.46. "She had already run in a two-turn race, and I had confidence with that," Kimura said. "So when I started riding from the three-eighths, she just kept responding and had a big, beautiful stride." As Cashed and Nimah battled through the stretch, making a little contact, Consequent ranged up outside of them. It took Consequent a bit to get by, but ultimately she reached the wire a length in front in 1:44.03. Cashed finished second, 4 lengths over Nimah, who was followed by Cosmic Heat and Jewlz. The stewards posted the inquiry sign, looking into the contact between Cashed and Nimah in the stretch. But they made no change to the order of finish. "That looked pretty good right there—she needed all that stretch for sure," said Baffert assistant trainer Mike Marlow. "She's still pretty green. She was tough to saddle, but she's going to figure it out. She's going to be good, and it looks like more distance will be even better for her.'' The Starlet is part of the Road to the Kentucky Oaks, offering 2026 Kentucky Oaks (G1) qualifying points to the top five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale. Baffert didn't unveil Consequent or Nimah until the fall Del Mar meeting. Consequent broke her maiden Nov. 14 at a mile by a half-length, while Nimah scored by 1 3/4 lengths at 6 1/2 furlongs Nov. 23. Juddmonte bred Consequent in Kentucky from the Uncle Mo mare Cognitive, having purchased Cognitive as a yearling for $500,000 at Fasig-Tipton's The Saratoga Sale in 2016. Baffert trained Cognitive as well; she only made four starts, winning once at Santa Anita Park. Lane's End consigned Cognitive to this year's Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale, where in foal to Elite Power she sold for $500,000 to Repole Stable. Cognitive's earlier foals include Show Card, also trained by Baffert. A full sister to Consequent, Show Card won the 2024 Tranquility Lake Stakes at Del Mar and Dark Mirage Stakes at Los Alamitos. Consequent is by Into Mischief, who is en route to his seventh leading sire title. Into Mischief's other 2025 graded stakes winners include Sovereignty, winner of the Kentucky Derby (G1), Belmont Stakes (G1), and Travers Stakes (G1), and Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) winner Ted Noffey. Into Mischief is scheduled to stand the 2026 season for a stud fee of $250,000 at Spendthrift Farm near Lexington.