BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Zedan Racing Stables’ graded stakes-winning Florida-bred Nooni is set to make her first start since December of 2024 in Thursday’s $100,000 Desert Stormer (Listed), a six-furlong test for fillies and mares at Santa Anita Park. Nooni is listed at the even-money morning line favorite in the field of five.
Nooni also tries to earn breeders Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O’Farrell III, David O’Farrell et. al. a $4,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association for an out-of-state victory in a non-graded stakes.
Nooni first turned heads when she topped the 2018 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale out of the Ocala Stud consignment with a $1.8 million price tag paid by bloodstock agent Donato Lanni representing owner Amr Zedan and his Zedan Racing Stables.
She lived up to the hype three months later in her first race, winning a five-furlong maiden special weight for fillies by nine-and-a-half-lengths at Del Mar for trainer Bob Baffert. She then took the Grade 3 Sorrento at Del Mar on August 10 of that year, winning the six-furlong test by a length-and-a-half. A difficult trip in the Grade 1 FanDuel Racing Del Mar Debutante in September resulted in her first loss, finishing fifth after jockey Juan Hernandez had to check her at the top of the stretch. She returned to Santa Anita for her next track and first trip around two turns in the mile-and-a-sixteenth Oak Leaf presented by Oak Tree (G2). Nooni set the pace through the first seven furlongs before succumbing to stablemate Non Compliant to finish second.
She ended her juvenile campaign finishing sixth in the NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) then was fifth in the Grade 2 Starlet at Los Alamitos.
Now at age 4, the bay daughter of Ocala Stud’s Win Win Win has trained forwardly coming into the Desert Stormer, producing bullet works in three of her last four breezes including five furlongs in 1:00.20 at Santa Anita on Wednesday, the fastest of 15 works at the distance.
Out of the Union Rags mare Unanimity, Nooni has earned $212,400 from two wins with a second in six starts.
Nooni has post two and jockey Juan Hernandez.
Magnificat returns to the main track off a neck victory in her last race, a second condition, $80,000 optional claiming for fillies and mares going six furlongs on the turf at Santa Anita on May 15.
The 4-year-old Richard Mandella-trained daughter of Omaha Beach has one previous start against stakes fillies, finishing fifth in the Grade 3 Las Flores going six furlongs at Santa Anita in January. In one race between that and her last start, Magnificat was second in an upper level, $80,000 optional claiming going six-and-a-half furlongs at Santa Anita in March.
Magnificat has earned $139,200 for owner Spendthrift Farm, having won three with a second and a third in six starts.
Antonio Fresu has the call on Magnificat, who is 7-5 on the morning line and will break from post four.
Rounding out the field are Antifona (Fr) with jockey Tiago Pereira, Joel Rosario will have the reins on Revera and Syntax with Kyle Frey in the irons.
Return to the June 9 issue of Wire to Wire
