Faiza goes from debut win to Grade 1 in Starlet

The supplemental nominees are the runners to fear in Saturday’s Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos.

Faiza, purchased for $725,000 at a 2-year-olds in training sale in May, and Uncontrollable, bought for $130,000 at auction in April, were supplemented to the $300,000 Starlet Stakes for $10,000 earlier this week.

The hefty investments may pay off in the final Grade 1 of the year for 2-year-old fillies, and push Faiza and Uncontrollable higher on the list of 3-year-old fillies to follow this winter.

Faiza, owned by Michael Petersen, won her debut in an exciting manner in seven-furlong maiden special weight race Nov. 12 at Del Mar, disputing the pace before pulling away by 3 1/2 lengths.

“We’ve always felt like she was a very talented filly,” trainer Bob Baffert said. “She was impressive first time.

“It’s a big jump. Hopefully, she can handle it.”

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Baffert has won the last five runnings of the Starlet, run at 1 1/16 miles, and has three runners in a field of seven, including Doinitthehardway and Fast and Shiny.

Doinitthehardway was a decent second by a length to the well-regarded Ice Dancing in a maiden special weight race on Nov. 25 at Del Mar in her third start and first at a mile.

“It’s coming back a little quick, but she has that two-turn experience,” Baffert said.

Fast and Shiny won her debut in a maiden special weight race at five furlongs at Del Mar in August, but has fared no better than fourth in three subsequent starts, two of which were stakes.

“It’s a short field and a Grade 1, and that’s why I put the other two in there,” Baffert said.

Faiza will not be far from the front, and could be in pursuit of Blessed Touch, who was second in the Desi Arnaz Stakes at seven furlongs on Nov. 19 at Del Mar in her third start and stakes debut.

Blessed Touch will start at 1 1/16 miles for the first time in the Starlet and has drawn the outside post. Jockey Drayden Van Dyke is expected to have Blessed Touch forward early to avoid a wide trip around the sharp first turn at Los Alamitos.

“She gives the impression she should be able to handle it,” trainer Tim Yakteen said of the distance. “I think we fit in the race quite well.

“She’s got speed. She’s going to jump away from there. It could be a contested pace if someone wants to go with us.”

Yakteen said he was not discouraged that Blessed Touch was beaten 2 1/4 lengths by favored Justique in the Desi Arnaz. Blessed Touch was more than six lengths clear of the third-place finisher.

“I thought it was a pretty darn good race,” he said. “I though it set up well for the winner, who is a nice horse.”

Uncontrollable will not be a factor early. Trained by Michael McCarthy for Repole Stables, Uncontrollable was second by three-quarters of a length in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles on Oct. 8 at Santa Anita in her graded stakes debut and first start around two turns.

Uncontrollable closed from sixth in the Chandelier to lose to And Tell Me Nolies, who later finished eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies on Nov. 4 at Keeneland.

Uncontrollable was held out of the BC Juvenile Fillies because of a cut on a leg, but she has recovered to work well in the last month, McCarthy said.

“This seems like a good race to get started,” McCarthy said of Uncontrollable’s comeback.

“We’ve had four solid works. She’s training as well as she ever has.”

The Starlet will be the first start on dirt for Pride of the Nile, who won consecutive races at a mile on turf earlier this fall against maidens at Santa Anita and in an allowance race at Del Mar in November.

Pride of the Nile tends to run from a tracking position. She took the lead in early stretch of her two wins and won each race by a half-length.

The longshot Classymademoiselle, fifth in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes at six furlongs at Del Mar in August, also is part of the Starlet field.

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