Michael Lund Petersen | Horse Racing Free Tips

Faiza For Fun In the Santa Anita Oaks

Michael Lund Petersen's 'TDN Rising Star' Faiza (Girvin) was never really asked for a full effort by Flavien Prat in extending her unbeaten streak to five with a facile success in Saturday's GII Santa Anita Oaks at the Great Race Place.

Beaten for speed and content to sit wide off a longshot front-runner, the $90,000 Fasig-Tipton July yearling turned $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic breezer was patiently handled down the backstretch before making a run towards the front on the turn. Dueling briefly with Clearly Unhinged (Into Mischief) into the stretch, Faiza put the race to bed within a few strides, scampering clear to win as much the best. And Tell Me Nolies (Arrogate) ran on for second ahead of Window Shopping (American Pharoah) in third. Clearly Unhinged faded to fourth. Faiza remains under the care of Bob Baffert, making her ineligible for a start in the GI Kentucky Oaks.

“I'm very excited,” said Petersen, who also campaigned champion and fellow Fasig-Tipton purchase Gamine (Into Mischief). “Five out of five that's more than you ever dream about. It's very nice being on day like this and winning a race. It makes it all worth it.”

A supremely easy winner of her Nov. 12 debut at Del Mar, for which she was accorded 'Rising Star' status, Faiza was fully extended in winning the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 10. A hard-fought, half-length winner of the GIII Las Virgenes S. Jan. 28, Faiza remained in this barn past the Feb. 28 transfer deadline that would have allowed her to run in the GI Kentucky Oaks and went on to best And Tell Me Nolies by 2 1/4 lengths in the GIII Santa Ysabel S. Mar. 5.

Pedigree Notes:

Faiza is out of a daughter of MGSW & MGISP Pomeroy's Pistol, also the dam of $1-million KEESEP yearling Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile), a graded winner at ages two and three and now standing stud at Spendthrift Farm. Sweet Pistol, who was purchased by Brereton C. Jones for $33,000 at the 20176 Keeneland November Sale, is the dam of the 2-year-old filly Her Best Friend (Cairo Prince), a $160,000 graduate of last year's Keeneland September sale and currently in training at The Thoroughbred Center. She produced a Complexity filly in 2022 and was most recently bred back to the son of Maclean's Music.

Saturday, Santa Anita
SANTA ANITA OAKS-GII, $401,500, Santa Anita, 4-8, 3yo, f, 1 1/16m, 1:43.27, ft.
1–FAIZA, 124, f, 3, by Girvin
1st Dam: Sweet Pistol, by Smart Strike
2nd Dam: Pomeroys Pistol, by Pomeroy
3rd Dam: Prettyatthetable, by Point Given
'TDN Rising Star' ($90,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $725,000 2yo '22 EASMAY). O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Brereton C Jones (KY); T-Bob Baffert; J-Flavien Prat. $240,000. Lifetime Record: GISW, 5-5-0-0, $642,000. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–And Tell Me Nolies, 124, f, 3, Arrogate–Be Fair, by Exchange Rate. ($70,000 Ylg '21 KEEJAN; $230,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). O-Peter Redekop B C Ltd; B-Lara Run LLC (KY); T-Peter Miller. $80,000.
3–Window Shopping, 124, f, 3, American Pharoah–Delightful Joy, by Tapit. 1ST BLACK-TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK-TYPE. ($700,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-Perry R Bass II & Ramona S Bass; B-International Equities Holding Inc. (KY); T-Richard E Mandella. $48,000.
Margins: 6HF, HF, 4 1/4. Odds: 0.80, 6.40, 5.30.
Also Ran: Clearly Unhinged, Venganza, Don't Get Pickled, Cliquish, Gila. Scratched: Princess Bettina. Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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Girvin’s Faiza Stays Perfect in Las Virgenes

A $725,000 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic grad, Faiza (Girvin) already had lofty expectations by the time she entered the starting gate for the first time Nov. 12. A popular choice at the betting windows, she put on a 3 1/2-length winning performance that day worthy of a 'TDN Rising Star' tag and immediately backed that form up with a narrow win next time out over familiar foe Pride of the Nile (Pioneerof the Nile) in the GI Starlet S. at Los Alamitos Dec. 10.

In a field that included the top three out of that Starlet S., as well as fellow 'Rising Star' Justique (Justify), Faiza drew the inside gate but was out-sprinted into the first turn by a pair of rivals to her outside in Sweet Trouble (Into Mischief) and Broadway Girls (Army Mule). Taken back third off that duo as the field strung out down the backstretch, Faiza stayed in contention before shifting to the outside to steadily gain until she was on even terms with Broadway Girls. Still making progress as the top trio came around the far turn, she came within a neck of Sweet Trouble at the head of the lane despite drifting out a bit and dug in gamely down the stretch to keep a closing Pride of the Nile at bay in a repeat of the Starlet exacta.

“I'd like to thank Bob Baffert and the owner for the opportunity and support,” said winning jockey Ramon Vazquez, who was aboard Faiza for the first time today with regular rider Flavien Prat away to ride today at Oaklawn Park. “I wanted to get out in the clear and put my filly in a good position. She's a nice filly, when I asked her, she responded really well. She's amazing.”

Pedigree Notes:

By top-five freshman sire Girvin–also the sire of fellow 'Rising Star' Damon's Mound–Faiza was her sire's first Grade I winner. Her second dam, MGSW & GISP Pomeroys Pistol (Pomeroy), is also responsible for MGSW and Spendthrift stallion Thousand Words (Pioneerof the Nile). Sweet Pistol saw her 2-year-old by Cairo Prince realize $160,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale and she has a yearling filly by Complexity still to race as well.

Saturday, Santa Anita
LAS VIRGENES S.-GIII, $200,500, Santa Anita, 1-28, 3yo, f, 1m,
1:38.46, ft.
1–FAIZA, 124, f, 3, by Girvin
          1st Dam: Sweet Pistol, by Smart Strike
          2nd Dam: Pomeroys Pistol, by Pomeroy
          3rd Dam: Prettyatthetable, by Point Given
'TDN Rising Star'. ($90,000 Ylg '21 FTKJUL; $725,000 2yo '22 EASMAY).
O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Bob
Baffert; J-Ramon A. Vazquez. $120,000. Lifetime Record:
GISW, 3-3-0-0, $342,000. Werk Nick Rating: B+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or free Equineline.com
catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Pride of the Nile, 122, f, 3, Pioneerof the Nile–Inny Minnie,
by Hard Spun. ($140,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-West Coast
Stables, LLC; B-Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC (KY);
T-Doug F. O'Neill. $40,000.
3–Justique, 120, f, 3, Justify–Grazie Mille, by Bernardini.
($725,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP). O-C R K Stable LLC; B-John D.
Gunther & Eurowest Bloodstock (KY); T-John A. Shirreffs.
$24,000. 'TDN Rising Star'.
Margins: HF, 2HF, HF. Odds: 1.00, 3.60, 2.40.
Also Ran: Sweet Trouble, Uncontrollable, Broadway Girls.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO,
sponsored by TVG.

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Immaculately Bred Curlin Firster Gets ‘Rising Star’ Nod

Things didn't look especially promising for those who crunched Michael Lund Petersen's Faustin (c, 2, Curlin–Hard Not to Like, by Hard Spun) into 90 cents on the dollar in the early stages of the first juvenile test of the new meet at Santa Anita Monday afternoon. But the gunmetal gray colt did his best work through the line to graduate by open lengths and become a new 'TDN Rising Star.'

The March foal was not off to the most alert of beginnings and was no better than midfield and under a very busy ride from Ramon Vazquez as the quarter went up in :21.67. Still cajoled along on the turn, but able to make some headway towards the inside, Faustin advanced to be fourth behind a wall of three rivals as they hit the top of the lane. Hooked wide, with stablemate Sonoran (Ride On Curlin) to catch entering the final furlong, he raced a bit greenly while gathering that one up and strode home to score by a widening 2 3/4-length margin.

Led out unsold on a bid of $285,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, Faustin breezed an eighth of a mile in :10 flat and was hammered down to Petersen's agent Donato Lanni for $800,000 at OBS this past April. Faustin, who outworked 99 others to earn the half-mile bullet (:46 4/5 from the gate) Dec. 10, is the 23rd 'Rising Star' for Curlin.

A homebred for Hillsbrook Farm and trained by Michael Matz, Hard Not to Like upset the 2014 GI Jenny Wiley S. and was purchased by Speedway Stables for $1.5 million out of that year's Keeneland November sale. Turned over to Christophe Clement, she thrived at five, winning this track's GI Gamely S. and the GI Diana S. before DATTT Farm purchased her for $2.2 million at KEENOV in 2016. Hard Not to Like's foals have been market darlings, her last four having sold for at least a half-million dollars, including her yearling filly by Quality Road that was purchased by Japan's Koji Maeda for $500,000 at Keeneland this past September. Her last listed produce is a weanling colt by Constitution.

Faustin is bred on the exact same cross as champion and successful young sire Good Magic and additional graded winners Irish War Cry and Cordmaker.

4th-Santa Anita, $68,500, Msw, 12-26, 2yo, 6f, 1:10.08, ft, 2 3/4 lengths.
FAUSTIN, c, 2, by Curlin
1st Dam: Hard Not to Like (MGISW-US, SW-Can, $1,262,171), by Hard Spun
2nd Dam: Like A Gem, by Tactical Cat
3rd Dam: It's a Ruby, by Rubiano
Sales history: $285,000 RNA Ylg '21 KEESEP; $800,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $40,200. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael Lund Petersen; B-DATTT Farm LLC (KY); T-Bob Baffert.

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Impressive Debut Winner Faiza Supplemented to Starlet

Faiza (Girvin), named a 'TDN Rising Star' off an impressive debut score Nov. 12 at Del Mar, will be supplemented for $10,000 to the $300,000 GI Starlet Saturday at Los Alamitos. The Starlet, which is for fillies at 1 1/16 miles, is the first of four stakes events for 2-year-olds to be run during Los Al's six-day Winter Thoroughbred meet that opens Friday.

Owned by Michael Lund Petersen, who won the 2015 GI Los Alamitos Futurity with Mor Spirit (Eskendereya), and trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, Faiza cruised to a 3 1/2-length victory under wraps in her unveiling, covering six furlongs in 1:09.28. She was a $725,000 purchase earlier this year at the Fasig-Tipton Mid Atlantic sale.

Baffert–who has won the Starlet five times in a row with Dream Tree (Uncle Mo) in 2017, Chasing Yesterday (Tapit) in 2018, Bast (Uncle Mo) in 2019, Varda (Distorted Humor) in 2020 and Eda (Munnings) last year–may also start Doinitthehardway (Street Sense). Owned by Mike Pegram, Karl Watson and Paul Weitman, Doinitthehardway the dark bay is a three-start maiden who has a pair of seconds and a third on her resume.

Entries for the Starlet will be taken Wednesday.

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