Undefeated Faiza Takes Game on Road in Black-Eyed Susan

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 George E. Mitchell 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.

Another pricey purchase who goes head-to-head with Faiza is Gold Standard Racing Stable's Hoosier Philly , a $510,000 buy for agent Lauren Carlisle from Candy Meadows Sales consignment at the 2021 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Trained by Tom Amoss, the Into Mischief   filly won her first three starts, including the Rags to Riches Stakes and Golden Rod Stakes (G2) in 2022, before placing in the Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) and finishing fourth in the Fair Grounds Oaks (G2) last out. Fair Grounds Oaks runner-up Pretty Mischievous  won the Kentucky Oaks.

"She trained very well all along," Amoss said. "Having said that, it's a bit of a puzzle that we've been trying to correct to get her to run back to her 2-year-old races. It's safe to say each time we've run her, I thought she would run her race. And we haven't seen that to this point."

Hoosier Philly sat outside entry to the Oaks as she ranked 17th on the leaderboard—only 14 entrants are accepted—behind Julia Shining  and Taxed . The latter also will give the Black-Eyed Susan a try.

Missing the Oaks by only one spot, Randy Morse trainee Taxed has not quite been able to get it done in stakes company but has put in several promising runs in the last couple months, including runner-up finishes in both the Martha Washington Stakes and Fantasy Stakes (G3). Though she garnered points for those efforts, a ninth in the Honeybee Stakes (G3) kept her just off the mark for Oaks entry. The Collected   filly races for Richard Bahde.

Also entered Friday is Todd Pletcher trainee Miracle , who last year put three on-the-board races together in New York-bred stakes company before finishing second in the Rachel Alexandra and fifth last out in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2). The daughter of Mendelssohn   is campaigned by Siena Farm and WinStar Farm.

Completing the field is Madaket Stables' stakes winner Balpool ; Brittany T. Russell trainee Cats Inthe Timber ; Pate  and Towhead —both stakes-placed for trainer Mike Maker; Gulfstream Park Oaks runner-up Sacred Wish ; Brad Cox trainees Merlazza  and Comparative , and allowance optional claiming winner Frosty O Toole .