Chandelier Preview: Princess Noor on the Hunt for another Crown

ARCADIA, CA – Zedan Racing Stables’ Princess Noor, already a Grade 1 winner in her young career, is on the hunt for another crowning achievement in Saturday’s $200,000 Chandelier Stakes (G2) at Santa Anita Park.

The winner of the Chandelier will receive an automatic position in the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) this fall at Keeneland. Pre-entry and entry fees will be paid and a nominator award of $10,000 will be given to the nominating person. Also, all Breeders’ Cup starters based outside of the state of Kentucky will receive a travel allowance of $10,000 if based in North America and $40,000 if based Internationally.

The Chandelier is a 1 1/16-mile dirt route to 2-year-old fillies. The 2020 edition attracted number.

Let’s look at the full field:

#1 Princess Noor – The ultra-talented filly went gate to wire on debut and showed that she could be tactical in the Del Mar Debutante Stakes (G1). The daughter of 2016 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1) runner-up Not This Time is one of three entries trying to give Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert his record 12th title in this race.

#2 Make Mischief – She ships west for trainer Mark Casse after finishing second in a trio of Saratoga stakes races earlier this summer. The Into Mischief filly is one of two New York-breds in the field and picks up the riding services of talented local jockey Abel Cedillo.

#3 Varda – The New York-bred Baffert trainee shares something in common with nearly every other runner in the field and shows up here after winning her debut (a 6-furlong dirt sprint at Del Mar) by 3 1/4 lengths. She was a $700k auction purchase earlier this spring by Baoma Corporation, who owned last year’s winner Bast, also a Baffert runner.

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#4 Illumination – She finished second on debut and third in the Del Mar Debutante, fading each time after initially setting or pressuring the pace. Though still a maiden, her connections supplemented her into the field and Baffert attracted the East Coast-based Luis Saez (in town for the day’s biggest races) to ride.

#5 Miss Costa Rica – She’ll give dirt a try after breaking her maiden on debut in a 5-furlong turf dash at Del Mar. The daughter of 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) champion Hit It a Bomb will try to become her freshman sire’s second North American graded stakes winner; the other, Weston, also won his on dirt, so there’s a chance that she could take to the surface.

The Chandelier serves as race 3 and is one of seven stakes on the Saturday card at Santa Anita Park. The American-based Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series “Win and You’re In” events continue Sunday at Santa Anita Park with the Santa Anita Sprint Championship (Sprint) and the Zenyatta (Longines Distaff).

The Breeders’ Cup Challenge Series is presented by America’s Best Racing.