Faran lives up to $3.4 million billing in Los Alamitos debut
Faran turned a $3.4 million tag into a sharp first-out win at Los Alamitos, finishing in 1:16.74 as Umberto Rispoli returned from injury to ride him home.
Faran wasted no time matching the market hype, winning his debut at Los Alamitos by 1 3/4 lengths and doing it with the kind of late kick that makes expensive colts look worth every penny. The Bob Baffert trainee, owned by Zedan Racing Stables, covered 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:16.74 over a fast dirt track in a $50,000 maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and up, earning $30,000 while holding off a six-horse field.
The 3-year-old son of Not This Time out of Kayce Ace by Tiznow was the 3-5 favorite, and he handled that pressure after a slightly awkward break. He did not leave the gate perfectly straight, but once he settled, he tracked the pace and finished strongest when the race tightened. That matters more than a flashy debut figure alone: Faran did not just win, he solved a small problem in real time and still produced a decisive finish.
Umberto Rispoli rode the colt and made his first mount back after the late-January spill at Gulfstream Park. He got Faran into rhythm after the early bobble and then timed the run to the wire, a useful return for a rider who is also scheduled to ride the Del Mar summer meeting starting July 17. The trip was part of the story here, but so was the professionalism once Faran found his feet.
The pedigree and sales file make the result feel less like an upset of expectations than a confirmation of them. Faran was the Saratoga sale topper in the opening session of the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga yearling sale, where Amr Zedan paid $3.4 million for him out of the Nardelli Sales consignment. BloodHorse’s family record shows Kayce Ace also produced a 2024 foal by Life Is Good and was bred back to Not This Time for 2026, which adds depth to a mare whose profile is already rising.
Zedan has seen this movie before with Not This Time stock. Princess Noor, another high-end purchase for the operation, cost $1.35 million at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-year-olds in training, won the Del Mar Debutante and Chandelier, and earned $363,500 before being retired after a soft-tissue injury in the Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos. Faran does not have to be Princess Noor to matter, but this debut said he belongs on the same conversation list, and Baffert likely has a live West Coast horse to place into richer company next.
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