Princess Noor, Flash Magic to Face Off in Maiden Test
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Photo: Judit Seipert
Princess Noor breezes during the under tack show at the OBS Spring Sale
Several six- and seven-figure horses will be contesting maiden special weight races Aug. 22, but Princess Noor has them all beat in that category—the $1.35 million 2-year-old purchase will be making her first start for trainer Bob Baffert and owner Zedan Racing Stables at Del Mar.
The 2-year-old Not This Time filly out of grade 3 winner Sheza Smoke Show was the highest price at the Ocala Breeders' Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training after stopping the clock in :20 1/5 for a quarter-mile during the under tack show. Agent Gary Young made the winning bid on the filly consigned by Top Line Sales. Princess Noor sold last year at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $135,000.
Princess Noor is slated to leave post 2 with Victor Espinoza aboard.
Baffert also has entered Flash Magic, a Stonestreet Stables homebred daughter of Pioneerof the Nile who is a half sister to grade 1 winner and 2017 2-year-old champion Good Magic . She will leave the outside post with jockey Flavien Prat.
The trainer said he would have preferred to start them earlier in the season and avoid running them in the same race, but options in Southern California have been limited for 2-year-olds.
"Those are two outstanding fillies. I hate to run them together, but there's been a shortage of 2-year-old races down here," Baffert said. "Flash Magic, she looks like she's definitely a route horse. And (Princess Noor), she's quick and she's been working well. She's a beautiful filly—they're both really nice fillies.
"I hate to run them together—it's like putting your two kids together. But I didn't want to miss the Breeders' Cup window, and they're ready to run. I didn't want to ship them out."
The pair will take on five other juvenile fillies in the 5 1/2-furlong test that goes as the first race. Princess Noor was dubbed the morning-line favorite at odds of 2-1, and Flash Magic was given odds of 5-2 to be the second choice.
Frosted Blue, who drew the rail with jockey Abel Cedillo, brings some credentials to the race as a Frosted half sister to 2015 Sunland Derby (G3) winner and Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) runner-up Firing Line .
Del Mar, Saturday, August 22, 2020, Race 1Entries: Race 1 (MSW) at DMR on 8/22/20
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Frosted Blue (KY)
Abel Cedillo
120
Jerry Hollendorfer
10/1
2
2Princess Noor (KY)
Victor Espinoza
120
Bob Baffert
2/1
3
3Lady Mo (KY)
Geovanni Franco
120
Ruben Gomez
20/1
4
4Avisse (KY)
UMBERTO RISPOLI
120
Doug F. O'Neill
5/1
5
5Shanghai Groove (KY)
Tiago Josue Pereira
120
Bill McLean
6/1
6
6Peachtree Road (KY)
Mike E. Smith
120
Richard E. Mandella
4/1
7
7Flash Magic (KY)
Flavien Prat
120
Bob Baffert
5/2
