Nancy From Nairobi survives inquiry to win Royal Heroine

ARCADIA, Calif. – Nancy From Nairobi won her graded stakes debut in Thursday’s $203,105 Royal Heroine Stakes at Santa Anita but had to survive a six-minute stewards’ review into an incident in early stretch.

Tyler Baze, who rode fifth-place finisher Her Emmynency, lodged an objection, saying Nancy From Nairobi drifted out in early stretch, forcing his mount wide. The stewards reviewed the tapes but did not change the order of finish.

“It didn’t seem like it was that much to me,” winning trainer John Sadler said.

Ridden by Abel Lezcano, Nancy From Nairobi ($12.20) ran a mile on turf in 1:37.12, finishing a half-length in front of 9-2 favorite Faufiler in the Grade 2 race for fillies and mares. Fanticola finished third, followed by Havanna Belle, Her Emmynency, Sharla Rae, Elektrum, Keri Belle, La Berma, Fasnacloich, Living The Life, Prize Exhibit, Glory, and Smoove It.

Nancy From Nairobi has won 5 of 22 starts and earned $271,456. A 5-year-old British-bred mare by Sixties Icon, Nancy From Nairobi has won three consecutive starts, a streak that includes wins in optional-claiming races in February and March. She missed the Grade 2 Santa Ana Stakes on March 26 because of a brief bout with colic.

Owned by Pete and Kosta Hronis, Nancy From Nairobi will be pointed for the $300,000 Gamely Stakes, a Grade 1 at 1 1/8 miles on turf May 30.

In England last year, she won a minor handicap at Newmarket when trained by Mick Channon and joined Sadler’s stable last summer.