Starfinder displayed tremendous tenacity when she was passed in the stretch but battled back along the inside rail to nail Royal Pearl by a nose to win a one-mile maiden special weight contest on the turf at Santa Anita Oct. 2.
With the victory the juvenile filly became the sixth winner for her freshman sire, Mystic Guide, and his first at Santa Anita.
Breaking sharply from the starting gate, Starfinder was sent right to the lead by Joel Rosario. They were joined by Royal Pearl, who pressured Starfinder throughout the race and who was always a half-length back.
Royal Pearl put a head in front as they entered the far turn, then proceeded to clear Starfinder to take a short lead in the stretch. Royal Pearl appeared on her way to a victory but Starfinder fought back along the rail and got up to nip Royal Pearl by a nose on the wire.
Bred in Ontario by Tabitha Lee, Starfinder is out of Zelda Can Dance, a Stakes-placed daughter of Pleasantly Perfect. Zelda Can Dance is a half sister to Graded Stakes-placed Man to Man and hails from the immediate family of multiple Stakes winners/Graded Stakes-placed runners Moonlight Dancer and You Bought Her.
Rated the best in the world after winning the G1 Dubai World Cup in a time faster than Arrogate and California Chrome, Mystic Guide also won the G2 Jim Dandy at three and took the G3 Razorback by six lengths. Starfinder is the sixth first-crop winner for her sire, who was also recently represented by Mystic Ride, a four-length debut winner for trainer Bob Baffert.
