Godolphin Secures Faiza for $4M Late at F-T November
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
Faiza in the ring at the F-T November Sale
On the heels of its two Breeders' Cup victories over the weekend, Godolphin went to $4 million to land grade 1 winner Faiza late in the session of the Nov. 7 Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
The unique pedigree of Faiza, along with her distinguished race record, is what caught Godolphin's attention.
"We're fortunate that we have a lot of A.P. Indy (line mares) through Bernardini, but we need a bit of diversity (to the broodmare band), which I think this mare brings," said Michael Banahan, Godolphin's director of bloodstock. "And she was obviously a very good race mare with a lot of quality to her."
Michael Banahan
A $725,000 2-year-old purchase, Faiza captured the first five starts of her career for trainer Bob Baffert, capped by wins in the 2022 Starlet Stakes (G1) and this year's Santa Anita Oaks (G2). The 3-year-old Girvin filly had been unraced since a third-place finish in the Black-Eyed Susan Stakes (G2) in May. She earned $672,000 in her 5-for-6 career.
"She was an easy buy. All the team loved her," Banahan said. "We really wanted her and she'll work out well in her broodmare band. We haven't added a mare to our broodmare band in a while and she fit the profile of the one we were looking for."
Faiza was consigned as Hip 228 from Hill 'n' Dale at Xalapa. Sold as a broodmare prospect, she is out of the Smart Strike mare Sweet Pistol and hails from the immediate family of multiple graded stakes-winning sprinter Pomeroys Pistol and grade 2 winner and 2020 Kentucky Derby (G1) starter Thousand Words .
Near the end of the night, Godolphin acquired the graded-stakes winning Galileo mare Higher Truth (Hip 241) from Indian Creek, agent, for $1.5 million.