Princess Noor retired after soft-tissue injury in Starlet Stakes

CYPRESS, Calif. - Princess Noor, the winner of two graded stakes for 2-year-old fillies in California during September, has been retired after sustaining a soft-tissue injury in Saturday’s Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos.

Trainer Bob Baffert said Sunday that Princess Noor was not in any distress, but that owner Amr Zedan had made the decision to retire the filly. Princess Noor is expected to be bred in early 2021.

“She’s not uncomfortable,” Baffert said. “She’s going to need some time off anyway. She’s worth a lot of money.”

By the Giant’s Causeway stallion Not This Time, Princess Noor won 3 of 5 starts and earned $363,500 in a career that began with an easy win by 2 1/2 lengths in a maiden special weight race at 5 1/2 furlongs at Del Mar on Aug. 22.

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Princess Noor won her stakes debut in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante at seven furlongs by 6 1/2 lengths on Sept. 6, and followed with an equally impressive win by 8 1/4 lengths in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at 1 1/16 miles at Santa Anita on Sept. 26.

In the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Nov. 6, Princess Noor finished fifth, 4 1/4 lengths behind winner Vequist as the 9-5 favorite.

Princess Noor was the 3-5 favorite in the Starlet at 1 1/16 miles. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, Princess Noor stalked the pace and took the lead on the turn before she was abruptly pulled out of the race. Espinoza guided Princess Noor to a stop near the quarter-pole.

Princess Noor was taken to Baffert’s stable, where she underwent X-rays that showed no bone damage, Baffert said.

“It could have been worse,” he said. “Victor did a tremendous job getting her pulled up.”

Princess Noor was purchased for $1.35 million at the Ocala Breeders’ Sale of 2-year-olds-in-training in June, the most expensive hip of the four-day auction.

Baffert won the Starlet with Varda, a 17-1 outsider who closed from last in a field of five to win her graded stakes debut. Owned by Baoma Corp., Varda has won 2 of 3 starts and has earned $254,500. Varda was purchased for $700,000 at the same OBS sale as Princess Noor and was the second-most expensive filly of the auction.

Baffert said on Sunday that he does not have any race plans for Varda. The first two graded stakes for 3-year-old fillies at the upcoming Santa Anita winter-spring meeting are Grade 2 races worth $200,000 - the Santa Ynez Stakes at seven furlongs on Jan. 3, and the Las Virgenes Stakes at a mile on Feb. 6.

Those races could include Astute, who was the last of four finishers in the Starlet.

Astute, the winner of the Desi Arnaz Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs by 7 1/2 lengths at Del Mar on Nov. 14, was third early in the Starlet, but faded to finish 13 1/2 lengths behind Varda.

“She kind of broke in the air and came back with a knot on her side like she may have strained herself,” trainer Richard Mandella said Sunday. “She was pretty uncomfortable cooling out. She looks good this morning.”