The Baoma Corporation's 3-year-old filly Faypien won a thrilling running of the $200,000 Summertime Oaks (G2) Saturday at Santa Anita Park, taking the 1 1/16-mile contest by a head in a three-way photo.
Faypien, who won the listed Angel Flight S. last month at Santa Anita, is now perfect in her two stakes starts and has won three of four overall, while earning $205,680.
Faypien got a well-judged ride from Rafael Bejarano, stalking in second on the outside of Sheza Chattykat until taking over the top spot at the top of the stretch. Spooky Woods, along the rail, posed a serious threat, as did Mopotism with a late charge in the final sixteenth, but Faypien held them both off for her first graded win.
“She really grinds it out every race and she’s tough. She’s all heart and she was all heart that last hundred yards,” said Faypien's trainer Bob Baffert.
“When we purchased her we were hoping for something like this. Rafael rode a great race today, and he rode with a lot of confidence. He had the horse to finish it with.
“I’ve got a great staff and I’m fortunate to have all of these good horses. I have great owners.”
Run at Hollywood Park until that track closed in 2013, Baffert has won a trainer-record four runnings of the Summertime Oaks.