Starlet winner Varda sidelined with injury

ARCADIA, Calif. – An unspecified injury derailed Grade 1 winner Varda, who will miss this spring’s major 3-year-old filly races, trainer Bob Baffert said this week.

Varda, 17-1 upset winner of the Grade 1 Starlet on Dec. 5 at Los Alamitos, resumed workouts in late December and could have run Saturday in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita. But after working five furlongs Jan. 22 at Santa Anita, Varda was not nominated to the Las Virgenes. Baffert was not specific regarding the setback.

“Varda is on the shelf, she’ll miss the Oaks,” Baffert said. “She is turned out.”

Baffert said he expects Varda will race again, but offered no timeline. Owned by Susan and Charles Chu, whose stable name is Baoma Corp., Varda has won 2 of 3 starts. Sired by Distorted Humor, Varda was purchased for $700,000 as a 2-year-old.

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The setback is the second by a Baffert-trained Starlet runner. Odds-on Princess Noor sustained a soft-tissue injury in the race and was retired. Richard Mandella-trained Astute, fourth in the Starlet, came out of the race with a sore foot, then got sick. Astute is expected to return in March.

A small field of 3-year-old fillies led by 87-Beyer Speed Figure maiden winner Moonlight d’Oro is expected Saturday in the Las Virgenes. Likely starters in the mile race also include Kalypso, Moraz, and Brilliant Cut.