A storage device utilizing read look ahead (RLA) may utilize auxiliary or spare latches as a RLA cache for storing pre-fetch data. The RLA may predict the next commands and do a speculative read to the flash using the latches for RLA storage. The auxiliary/spare latches may be present on a plane or die of non-volatile memory and may be different from the transfer data latch (XDL) that transfers data from the memory and the host. When the XDL is backed up, sense commands may still be performed and the data is stored in the auxiliary latches before being transferred with the XDL.