Though the April 8 Santa Anita Oaks (G2) has attracted nine, Faiza should receive the most support. She has never lost, and she defeated perhaps her biggest threat, And Tell Me Nolies, in their last race, the March 5 Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita Park | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Santa Anita Park.
Bob Baffert trains Faiza for owner Michael Lund Petersen. The Hall of Famer stepped Faiza right into stakes competition after she broke her maiden last November at Del Mar by 3 1/2 lengths. The daughter of Girvin responded with three quick graded victories: the Dec. 10 Starlet Stakes (G1) at Los Alamitos Race Course, the Jan. 28 Las Virgenes Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita, and the Santa Ysabel.
Faiza has positioned herself in second or third early in all of her races.
"She likes a target, something to run at," Baffert said after the Santa Ysabel. "She just gives you enough. There's a lot more there, which is good."
Flavien Prat, who has been aboard Faiza in three of her starts, will ride again, from post 5. Both the Santa Ysabel and Santa Anita Oaks are at 1 1/16 miles.
"I think distance is not a problem for her," Prat said after the Santa Ysabel. "She is a filly that has stamina."
And Tell Me Nolies (Ramon Vazquez, post 8) had a much more extensive 2-year-old campaign for trainer Peter Miller and owner Peter Redekop. She won the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1) and Chandelier Stakes (G2) before finishing eighth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) with a very wide trip.
Princess Bettina (Frankie Dettori, post 7) won the China Doll Stakes at Santa Anita March 18 at a mile on turf and finished third in the Feb. 12 Lady of Shamrock Stakes, also on turf. The filly, trained by Peter Eurton, has only started twice on the main track, her best effort a third in her debut.
Don't Get Pickled (Geovanni Franco, post 9) also has stakes experience. Trained by Lorenzo Campuzano, she finished third in the March 26 Sunland Park Oaks at Sunland Park.
Five fillies are making their stakes debuts in the Oaks, but have impressive margins of victories in their résumés.
Richard Mandella trains two of them, Window Shopping and Venganza, both for Perry Bass II and Ramona Bass. Window Shopping annihilated maidens by 16 1/2 lengths March 17 at a mile in a race that came off the turf. Prat rode her that day, and Hector Berrios will pilot her in the Oaks from post 6. Prat also rode Venganza when she won her only start by 4 1/4 lengths March 11, a race scratched down to just two runners after being taken off the turf. This time Mike Smith will be aboard from the rail.
Umberto Rispoli takes over on Cliquish for trainer Phil D'Amato after that daughter of Bernardini won a six-furlong maiden optional claimer by nine lengths for Mike Smith March 5.
Michael McCarthy conditions Clearly Unhinged (Juan Hernandez, post 3). In her debut, the daughter of Into Mischief scored by 3 1/4 lengths at 6 1/2 furlongs.
Gila took five starts to break her maiden and then did it for maiden $30,000. However, her margin of victory for trainer Steve Knapp was 12 1/2 lengths. Armando Aguilar, who rode her that day, returns from post 2.
Santa Anita Park, Saturday, April 8, 2023, Race 11Entries: Santa Anita Oaks (G2)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Venganza (KY) Mike E. Smith 124 Richard E. Mandella 12/1 2 2Gila (KY) Armando Aguilar 124 Steve R. Knapp 30/1 3 3Clearly Unhinged (KY) Juan J. Hernandez 124 Michael W. McCarthy 4/1 4 4Cliquish (KY) Umberto Rispoli 124 Philip D'Amato 20/1 5 5Faiza (KY) Flavien Prat 124 Bob Baffert 9/5 6 6Window Shopping (KY) Hector Isaac Berrios 124 Richard E. Mandella 4/1 7 7Princess Bettina (FL) Lanfranco Dettori 124 Peter Eurton 5/1 8 8And Tell Me Nolies (KY) Ramon A. Vazquez 124 Peter Miller 4/1 9 9Don't Get Pickled (CA) Geovanni Franco 124 Lorenzo Campuzano 30/1
