Faiza outlasts Pride of the Nile in Starlet Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. - In her stakes debut, first start around two turns, and first time to race from a stalking position, Faiza proved best in Saturday’s Grade 1 Starlet Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos Racecourse to remain undefeated after two starts.

Ridden by Flavien Prat, Faiza ($3) prevailed after a stretch duel with a stubborn rival in 12-1 Pride of the Nile, winning by a head.

Faiza led by a half-length with a furlong remaining and could not pull away from Pride of the Nile, leaving a few anxious moments for Prat.

“I was a bit worried,” Prat said. “She was ahead of her and it felt like she wasn’t going to let her go by.”

Owned by Michael Petersen and trained by Bob Baffert, Faiza finished 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.49 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 77. Faiza was Baffert’s sixth consecutive win in the $300,500 Starlet Stakes, the premier race for 2-year-old fillies at Los Alamitos.

:: DRF Bets members get FREE DRF Past Performances - Formulator or Classic. Join now!

Faiza, purchased at a 2-year-olds in-training sale for $725,000 in May, won her debut in a maiden special weight race at seven furlongs at Del Mar on Nov. 12. In that race, Faiza raced near the front throughout.

“This was only her second start and her first time going two turns, it was a big jump,” Prat said of the Starlet.

Pride of the Nile raced for the first time on dirt in the Starlet Stakes, having won two of three starts on turf since early October. The Starlet Stakes was Pride of the Nile’s second stakes appearance. She was fourth in a field of 11 in the Del Mar Juvenile Fillies Turf at a mile on Sept. 10.

Pride of the Nile stumbled at the start, and raced in fourth on the backstretch behind Doinitthehardway, who set a modest pace of 23.36 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 47.87 for a half-mile.

Pride of the Nile moved closer on the turn on the inside. Pride of the Nile was one of three fillies racing side by side in early stretch, inside of Doinitthehardway and Faiza.

Pride of the Nile, ridden by Juan Hernandez, drifted out slightly in early stretch. Doinitthehardway faded from contention through the stretch, leaving Faiza and Pride of the Nile to fight for the lead.

The stewards conducted an inquiry, focusing on whether Pride of the Nile interfered with Doinitthehardway, but said the incident did not affect the order of finish.

“At the quarter-pole, it looked like I came out, but I was in my lane,” Hernandez said. “She stumbled coming out of the gate, but she had a nice trip on the inside.

“The other filly is a nice filly,” Hernandez said. “My filly, it was her first time on dirt.”

Uncontrollable, second in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in October, closed from last to finish third, beaten 5 1/2 lengths. Doinitthehardway finished fourth, followed by Blessed Touch and Classymademoiselle.

Baffert trains Doinitthehardway, a maiden after four races, and scratched Fast and Shiny, who will race in a sprint in coming weeks, he said.

Faiza, by Girvin, has earned $222,000 in her two starts.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.