Frankie Dettori’s run of four consecutive wins at Santa Anita Park April 6 was supposed to come to a full stop in the Santa Anita Oaks (G1). He was riding Nothing Like You , the “other” Bob Baffert horse, against Baffert’s 1-2 favorite, undefeated Kinza , and Richard Mandella-trained Kopion , the latter perfect except for one loss against Kinza.
But Dettori can win anywhere in the world, on any racetrack, of any configuration. So when he ever-so-deftly cut the corner turning for home on a filly raring to go, Nothing Like You responded like a rising star, shot through the opening, and proceeded to pull away by 7 1/2 widening lengths.
The performance demanded one of Dettori’s famous flying dismounts, but no one told Nothing Like You. She danced around the winner’s circle, requiring a few turns, before Dettori could complete the maneuver. If ever a race needed that flourish, the Oaks was it.
Going into the 1 1/16-mile…
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