Faiza

Faiza won her career debut in a 2-year-old maiden race at Del Mar on Nov. 4, 2022. She was no secret on the tote board that day, being sent off as the 4-5 favorite in a field of seven fillies sprinting six furlongs on the dirt. She delivered with a 3 1/2-length win under jockey Flavien Prat in a head-turning time of 1:09.28.

Faiza was pointed to stakes immediately after her maiden win and made her next start in the Grade 1 $300,000 Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos on Dec. 10, where she was once again sent off as the heavy favorite, this time at 1-2 odds on the tote board. Faiza sat just off the pace in a field of six fillies in the 1 1/16-mile Starlet. She ranged up on the outside to challenge the two front-runners turning for home, and then prevailed by a half a length at the finish over Pride of the Nile, who proved to be a game runner up. Faiza went the 1 1/16-mile distance in a winning time of 1:44.49 and paid $3.00 to win. 

Faiza made a sparkling 3-year-old debut in the Grade 3 Las Virgenes Stakes Jan. 28, 2023, at Santa Anita Park, where she tracked the pace from third, seized command in early stretch, and held off a late bid from Pride of the Nile to win by a measured half-length.

Her winning streak continued with a stretchout in distance in her next start, the Grade 3 Santa Ysabel Stakes back at Santa Anita. Faiza tracked the early pace and drew clear in midstretch for a 3 ½-length win over And Tell Me Nolies in the 1 1/16-mile race, improving her career record to a perfect 4-for-4.

Faiza remained unbeaten and stretched her record to begin her career to a perfect 5-for-5 when she won the Grade 2 $400,000 Santa Anita Oaks in an absolute gallop by 6 1/2 open lengths in a time of 1:43.27 over an eight-horse field on April 8.

Faiza lost for the first tume in her career when third in the $300,000 George E. Mitchell Black-Eyed Susan Stakes on May 19 at Pimlico.

Faiza is trained by Bob Baffert. She was bred in Kentucky by the sire Girvin out of the mare Sweet Pistol by Smart Strike.