Making her first start since a third-place finish in the G2 Oak Leaf Stakes in October, Baoma Corp.’s Tenma showed no signs of rust as she outbattled a game Look Forward on her way to posting a one-and-three-quarter length victory in the G2 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on Saturday, 7 December.
It was the second Graded Stakes victory for the two-year-old daughter of Nyquist; she captured the G1 Del Mar Debutante in early September. The Starlet victory improved Tenma’s overall record to three wins from four starts.
Racing for the first time without blinkers, Tenma broke alertly and was hustled to the front to contest the pace by jockey Juan Hernandez. She soon was joined by Look Forward, and the pair battled back and forth throughout most of the race. Tenma and Look Forward continued to match strides as they entered the homestretch, while pulling several lengths clear of the rest of the field. Tenma finally shook free from her rival in the final furlong, then drew off late for an easy victory. Vodka With a Twist got up for third.
Bred in Kentucky by B. Flay Thoroughbreds, Tenma is out of Amagansett, an unraced daughter of Tapit. Second dam is the Stakes winner, Twirl (Galileo), a full sister to Champions Misty For Me (G1 Irish One Thousand Guineas, etc.) and Ballydoyle (G1 Prix Marcel Boussac). Tenma was purchased by her connections for $850,000 at the 2024 OBS April Two-Year-Old Sale.
Tenma is just one of the many promising juveniles of 2024 for her sire, Nyquist, who is also represented by the undefeated G1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies winner, Immersive, the leading candidate for Champion Two-Year-Old Filly. Additional Graded Stakes winners for Nyquist this year are Johannes, winner of the G1 Shoemaker Mile and second in the G1 Breeders’ Cup Mile; Randomized, winner of the G1 Ogden Phipps Stakes and two-time Listed Stakes winner, Studlydoright.
Nyquist will stand the 2025 breeding season at Jonabell Farm for $175,000, stands and nurses.
