BY BROCK SHERIDAN
In the 42 previous runnings of the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, an impressive 403 Florida-breds have produced 30 winners of 31 races. Florida-bred breeders trail only Kentucky and Ireland is all three categories.
Even more notable are the 60 Florida-breds that have appeared in at least two Breeders’ Cups with nine Sunshine State natives racing in three, Precisionist and Pure Sensation starting in four Breeders’ Cups each while Firenze Fire is among only six to compete in five Breeders’ Cup races. Ontario’s Channel Maker has the record alone with six Breeders’ Cup starts.
Zedan Racing Stables’ graded stakes winner Nooni appears on the verge of joining the distinguished list of Florida-breds with multiple Breeders’ Cup starts with her entry in Saturday’s $1 million Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (Grade 1). The Bob Baffert-trained daughter of Ocala Stud’s Win Win Win was sixth after leading through six furlongs of the 2024 NetJets Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Del Mar.
She was initially recognized as a potential star at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales March Sale where she brought a sale-topping $1.8 million when bloodstock agent Donato Lanni selected her for Saudi businessman Amr Zedan out of the Ocala Stud consignment.
“As a 2-year-old in the training sale, she was just spectacular,” Baffert said in a Churchill Downs interview. “We really had high hopes for her.”
Nooni made one more start following the 2024 Breeders’ Cup, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 Starlet at Los Alamitos Race Course in December, but did not race again for another 19 months.
“She just went backwards on us a little bit and we gave her some time off,” Baffert said. “She just needed time and we finally got her going and she’s back on track.”
Baffert returned her to Los Alamitos on July 4 of this year where she ran an even third behind winner and Filly & Mare Sprint-rival Sweet Azteca in the six-and-a-half-furlong Great Lady M (G2).
Baffert then transferred to his Kentucky division and has not lost in two starts since.
She won an upper level, $62,500 optional claiming at Ellis Park on August 2, winning by a by a length-and-a-half over six furlongs. She further improved in her next and most recent outing on September 13 at Churchill Downs, winning by nearly five lengths versus third condition, $100,000 optional claiming fillies and mares going seven furlongs. Her solid 1:09.89 produced a career best 89 Beyer Speed Figure.
A winner of the 2024 Sorrento (G3) at Del Mar in her second career start, Nooni has a solid career ledger of four wins with a second and a third in nine starts, earning $319,324.
“It’s nice to get her going again because we had some really high expectations,” Baffert said. “And now she looks fantastic. She looks great”
Nooni is out of the Union Rags mare Unanimity and was bred in Florida by Ocala Stud, Joseph M. O’Farrell III and David O’Farrell et al., who look to earn a $7,500 Export Incentive from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association should Nooni take the out-of-state Grade 1.
A start by Nooni may help Ocala Stud achieve another Breeder’s Cup milestone.
To date, Ocala Stud alone and in partnership has bred 13 Florida-bred Breeeders’ Cup starters, just two shy of FTBOA Hall of Fame members Arthur I. Appleton and Charlotte Weber’s Live Oak Stud. Appleton and Weber top the all-time list of Breeders’ Cup starts with Florida-breds by breeder. Ocala Stud in partnership as breeders are this year also represented R Disaster in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Sprint (G1) and Liam’s Law in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1). So if all three make the starting gate, Ocala Stud vaults to the top of the list.
Nooni has the outside post 13, so jockey Mario Gutierrez will need to tap into her tactical speed in the first three furlongs to keep from being victimized by a potential wide trip in the turn or too much traffic in the large field.
They are listed at 30-1 on the morning line.
Set to line up with Nooni in the Filly & Mare Sprint are Look Forward with Umberto Rispoli in the irons, Flavien Prat will ride 7-5 morning line favorite Ways and Means, Praying will have John Velazquez in the saddle, Tyler Gaffalione has the call on Florida-bred R Disaster, Ricardo Santana Jr. will take the reins on Foie Gras, Majestic Oops will carry Francisco Arrieta, Luis Saez teams with Evanescence, Kerry’s Kiss has Edwin Gonzalez taking the assignment, Juan Hernandez will steer Sweet Azteca, Simply Joking has Manny Franco named in the program, Jose Ortiz has the assignment on Explora, also trained by Baffert; and Javier Castellano will be aboard Kilwin.
Nooni is set to sell November 2 as Hip 127 at the Fasig-Tipton November Sale.
Return to the October 29 issue of Wire to Wire
