Varda ($37.80) wins Starlet Stakes after Princess Noor pulls up

CYPRESS, Calif. - Varda closed from last in a field of five to win Saturday’s Grade 1 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos after Princess Noor, her heavily favored stablemate, was pulled up in early stretch.

Princess Noor turned into the stretch with an advantage of more than a length when jockey Victor Espinoza pulled up the filly and quickly moved her to the outside. There was concern about Princess Noor’s left foreleg. She walked onto a horse ambulance and was transported to trainer Bob Baffert’s stable for evaluation.

In a brief phone interview 30 minutes after the race, Baffert said X-rays did not reveal any significant injuries.

“There was no fracture,” Baffert said. “It’s soft tissue. I don’t know if she hit herself. She’ll be fine. She didn’t break anything.”

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Princess Noor was the 3-5 favorite in the race for 2-year-old fillies on the basis of consecutive graded stakes wins in the Grade 1 Del Mar Debutante and Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes at Santa Anita in September. Princess Noor was fifth as the 9-5 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on Nov. 6.

Varda, second by 8 1/4 lengths to Princess Noor in the Grade 2 Chandelier Stakes, was a 17-1 outsider in the $300,500 Starlet. Ridden by Drayden Van Dyke, Varda was fifth to early stretch and was second to Kalypso with a furlong remaining.

Varda ($37.80) pulled clear of 11-1 Kalypso to win the Starlet by 1 1/2 lengths, finishing 1 1/16 miles in 1:44.53. Varda earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 68.

“She’s been working well,” Baffert said. “We thought the farther, the better with her. I’ve been waiting to run her long.”

Kalypso, trained by Baffert, had her graded stakes debut in the Starlet. Kalypso won the Anoakia Stakes at six furlongs at Santa Anita on Oct. 18.

Nasreddine, supplemented for $10,000, finished third in her stakes debut and first start against winners. She won a maiden special weight race at Del Mar on Nov. 7 in her second start.

Astute, the easy winner of the Desi Arnaz Stakes, was the last of four finishers in the Starlet, going off as the 6-5 second choice. Astute was as close as third through the first half-mile, chasing pacesetter Kalypso, but faded from contention in the final three furlongs.

Varda, by Distorted Humor, is owned by Baoma Corp. and has won 2 of 3 starts and has earned $254,500. Varda was purchased for $700,000 at a 2-year-olds in-training sale earlier this year.