Faiza edges Pride of the Nile in Starlet

Dec 11, 2022 James Scully/TwinSpires.com

Faiza remained unbeaten in Saturday’s $300,500 Starlet (G1)
at Los Alamitos, prevailing by a head over Pride of the Nile.

The two-year-old filly feature offered points on a
10-4-3-2-1 scale as a Road to the Kentucky Oaks series qualifier, but Faiza and
fourth-placer finisher Doinitthehardway aren’t eligible to receive points since
trainer Bob Baffert is suspended by Churchill Downs Inc.

It was an exciting duel through the final furlong. After
rating a couple of lengths off the pace in third, Faiza moved three-wide on the
far turn in tandem with Pride of the Nile, who advanced along the rail into
contention.

Faiza held a slight advantage as the rivals locked up in upper
stretch, but the battle was still in the balance. Pride of the Nile fought all
the way to the wire, but she could not get past the determined winner.

From the first crop of Girvin, Faiza was exiting a 3 1/2-length
romp at odds-on in her Nov. 12 debut at Del Mar. The bay miss stretched out to 1
1/16 miles with jockey Flavien Prat, and the 1-2 favorite stopped the teletimer
in 1:44.49. She’s campaigned by Michael Lund Petersen.

Pride of the Nile, who overcame a stumbling start, was more
than five lengths clear of third at 12-1. The Pioneerof the Nile filly was
making her first dirt attempt after recording back-to-back wins over maiden and
entry-level allowance foes on turf.

Uncontrollable, who was making her first outing since a
second in the Chandelier (G2) in early October, came next in third, and she was
followed by Doinitthehardway, Blessed Touch, and Classymademoiselle.

Bred in Kentucky by Brereton Jones, Faiza is the first
stakes winner from the Smart Strike mare Sweet Pistol. Faiza’s second maternal
dam, multiple Grade 2-winning sprinter Pomeroy’s Pistol, produced Thousand
Words, who was on the Kentucky Derby trail after winning the 2019 Los Alamitos
Futurity (G2) and Robert B. Lewis (G3) in his three-year-old opener.