How to Bet the Starlet Stakes

A compact field of five will vie in Saturday’s $300,000 Starlet S. (G1) at Los Alamitos. Donna Veloce and Bast, second and third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), respectively, get top billing in the cast.

The 1 1/16-mile affair also acts as a prep race on the “2020 Road to the Kentucky Oaks.” The top-four finishers will earn points on a 10-4-2-1 basis.

Analysis

Bast looks like the pace of the race, but she should be tracked with intent by Donna Veloce.

Roadrunner’s Honor will come next, with a break to Gingham and K P Dreamin.

Wagers

• $20 Exacta: 3-5 = $20
• $10 Trifecta Key: 3 with 2,5 = $20

Here is the field:

#1 ROADRUNNER’S HONOR (15-1) -- $100,000 Honor Code filly won on debut like a horse that wanted to go longer, and she ran evenly in the Desi Arnaz S. in her subsequent assignment. Doug O’Neill trainee gets a solid draw along the fence and she could rally for a share in her route debut under the guidance of Geo Franco.

#2 BAST (7-5) -- Two-time Grade 1 heroine makes her local bow for Bob Baffert, who has saddled the last two winners of this event. $500,000 Uncle Mo filly was a good third in the Juvenile Fillies (G1), and she figures to be the one to catch from the start with Drayden Van Dyke taking the reins.

#3 DONNA VELOCE (4-5) -- $800,000 daughter of Uncle Mo was a dazzling debut winner and proved her first performance was no fluke when posting a huge runner-up in the Juvenile Fillies (G1) for Simon Callaghan. Kentucky-bred lass was ultra-impressive at Santa Anita and has the highest ceiling in the field. Flavien Flavien Prat retains the mount atop the exciting youngster.

#4 GINGHAM (6-1) -- The second of the two Baffert fillies will be as fit as any rival after racing in a quartet of one-mile races. The recent maiden heroine has shown a consistent turn of foot at this stage of her development, and it could be worth of note that she has experience at this venue. Abel Cedillo will be in the stirrups.

#5 K P DREAMIN (12-1) -- Chandelier S. (G1) third never picked up her feet in the Juvenile Fillies (G1), but the Jeff Mullins charge comes in with a bullet morning drill most recently. $170,000 daughter of Union Rags is much better than her latest offering, and the Florida-bred might be moving best of all in the latter stages of this affair. Regular pilot Ruben Fuentes stays in the silks.