Multiple 3-year-old fillies who did not make the cut or were ineligible for this year’s Kentucky Oaks (G1) will reroute to the $300,000 Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) May 19 at Pimlico Race Course, including the undefeated, multiple graded stakes winner Faiza . The daughter of Girvin is trained by Bob Baffert, who is banned from Churchill Downs Inc. tracks through July for equine medication positives, most notably Medina Spirit in the 2021 Kentucky Derby (G1).
If she had been allowed to compete at Churchill Downs, Faiza almost certainly would have been a force to be reckoned with in the Oaks. She is sure to be strong competition against 11 others in the 1 1/8-mile Black-Eyed Susan, which will be her first start outside of Southern California. In only her second start, the filly won the 2022 Starlet Stakes (G1) and has since run off 2023 wins in the Las Virgenes Stakes (G3), Santa Ysabel Stakes (G3), and Santa Anita Oaks (G2).
“She’s very professional. She’s got a really good mind,” Baffert said. “Every time (Flavien) Prat rides, he says there is so much more in the tank because she doesn’t win by a lot. I think it’s going to be a step up. She will be running against more horses, so you never know. But she’s doing really well.”
Owner Michael Lund Petersen, who campaigns the bay filly, had a hunch about her talent when he went to $725,000 to secure her from Paul Sharp’s consignment at the 2022 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale.