Already considered a leading contender for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1), Zedan Racing Stables' Princess Noor dazzled Sept. 26 with an 8 1/4-length romp in the $200,000 Chandelier Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.
The daughter of Not This Time remains undefeated in three starts with earnings of $303,000 for trainer Bob Baffert. She won an Aug. 22 maiden special weight at Del Mar before taking the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) by 6 1/2 lengths. Victor Espinoza has been aboard for each start.
Espinoza said the dark bay evokes memories of some of his greatest mounts, like 2015 Triple Crown champion American Pharoah and two-time Horse of the Year California Chrome , but added she's the best of her division he's ever had the pleasure to ride.
"She reminds me of other great horses I used to ride like American Pharoah and California Chrome," the rider said. "The talent is there, we just have to let them be happy around the racetrack.
"I've been riding amazing horses, but as a filly, she's the best one I've ever ridden."
Princess Noor earned herself an automatic berth in the year-end World Championships on Future Stars Friday Nov. 6 at Keeneland with the victory in the Breeders' Cup Challenge event.
Baffert also saddled the runner-up in the 1 1/16-mile Chandelier, Baoma Corp.'s New York-bred filly Varda.
The third Baffert runner in the field of five was Illumination, who set the pace and led through fractions of :23.51 and :48.28 for a half-mile. Miss Costa Rica raced in second ahead of Princess Noor at the rail and Varda outside. Make Mischief was in tight entering the first turn, steadied, and raced in fifth.
Illumination held on to run three-quarters in 1:12.95, but Princess Noor, the heavy 1-5 favorite, and Varda were asked to go and passed their stablemate on the outside as Miss Costa Rica dropped back to fourth. Princess Noor then swept to the front and began opening up down the stretch. Though Varda ran on, she was far back from the winner, who was ridden out to a final time of 1:45.59 on the fast track.
"I saw Victor get behind and I saw that nice move before the three-eighths (pole), and you can only do that when you have a Ferrari under you," Baffert said.
"The talent, the energy, the speed—she dominated everyone with the energy she created during the race and I had a lot of confidence in her," Espinoza said. "Bob knows how to train his horses. She's really kind, and she doesn't need much. She does everything on her own, I'm just the pilot trying to find a way to have a little room to let her run and stretch her legs."
"This filly is just incredible and very talented," Baffert said. "I don't train her as hard and I run her into shape. You never know if they can go two turns until they do it, and it looks like that's not going to be a problem."
Miss Costa Rica edged Illumination by a neck to finish third, 9 1/4 lengths behind Varda. Make Mischief was last throughout.
Princess Noor was the $1.35 million sale-topper at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Old in Training where she breezed the fastest quarter-mile in :20 1/5. Agent Gary Young signed for the filly consigned by Top Line Sales.
International Equities Holding bred Princess Noor in Kentucky out of the grade 3-winning Wilko mare Sheza Smoke Show, who has a yearling Protonico colt named Protonic Power and a Tapwrit filly born in February. She was reported bred back to Protonico this year.
