In what looked like a replay of the Dec. 10 Starlet S. (G1), Faiza held off Pride of the Nile to win Saturday’s Las Virgenes S. (G3) at Santa Anita Park by half length.

The 3-year-old filly, owned by Michael Lund Petersen, is perfect in three starts and has earned $342,000.

Saturday’s win would not come easy. Faiza, breaking from the inside post in the one-mile contest, was third around the first turn and was pulling at her rider going into the backstretch. Nearing the final bend, she was angled out for clear running and passed pacesetter Sweet Trouble coming into the homestretch.

Pride of the Nile loomed a big threat with a furlong to run, but could get no closer than the final margin. Faiza completed the distance in 1:38.46 on a fast track.

“I’d like to thank Bob Baffert and the owner for the opportunity and support,” said winning jockey Ramon Vazquez, who was aboard Faiza for the first time today with regular rider Flavien Prat away to ride at Oaklawn Park. “I wanted to get out in the clear and put my filly in a good position. She’s a nice filly, when I asked her, she responded really well. She’s amazing.”

Faiza is out of Sweet Pistol, who is a half-sister to former Bob Baffert trainee Thousand Words, winner of the Los Alamitos Futurity (G2) and Robert B. Lewis S. (G3).