Let Faith Arise ekes out neck score over tenacious Yahilwa in Adoration

Let Faith Arise ekes out neck score over tenacious Yahilwa

in Adoration

Tommy Town Thoroughbreds' homebred Let Faith Arise battled with stubborn

pacesetter Yahilwa throughout the stretch of Sunday's Grade 3, $101,000

Adoration at Santa Anita Park and managed to stick her neck in front just at

the duo hit the wire to secure her second graded victory and third overall

stakes win.

The Kafwain filly broke sharp from her inside post and headed straight to the

front under jockey Corey Nakatani. She soon found company in the form of Yahilwa

to her outside, though, and allowed that one to take command as Eblouissante

rushed up to join the front runners rounding the first turn.

Nakatani settled Let Faith Arise into a ground-saving trip on the inside as

Yahilwa posted fractions of :23 1/5 and :46 4/5 with Eblouissante tracking just

off her flank. The latter filly, who was visibly sweating hard when entering the

gate, abruptly began dropping back nearing the final turn. She was quickly

surrounded and passed by the rest of the field.

Let Faith Arise moved up to engage Yahilwa rounding the bend and the fight

was on as the long-time leader refused to yield to the 1-2 favorite. Yahilwa

fought hard, but Let Faith Arise dug in and inched forward to hit the line in a

final time of 1:43 2/5 for 1 1/16 miles over the fast dirt.

The Jerry Hollendorfer-trained Let Faith Arise paid $3 for her hard-fought

victory, which improved her line to 6-2-1 from 12 starts and $470,240 in career

earnings.

It was another 8 3/4 lengths behind the duo to 108-1 longshot Irish Presence,

who held third by 1 1/4 lengths over Warren's Veneda. Spellbound, Legacy,

Scarlet Strike and Champagneandcaviar completed the order of finish while

Eblouissante was eased under the wire. Floral Romance was an early scratch.

Victorious in three of her first five outings, all over the Tapeta at Golden

Gate Fields, Let Faith Arise captured her dirt debut in the California Wine, a

six-furlong stakes at Pleasanton, last June. She tried turf next out in the

November 2 Senator Ken Maddy and suffered the worse finish of her career thus

far when eighth by only 2 1/4 lengths.

Let Faith Arise returned to action while making her four-year-old bow on

January 19 in Santa Anita's La Canada. The bay lass just missed when second by a

quarter length on that occasion, then filled the same spot a month later in the

Santa Maria. The Kentucky-bred filly broke through with a first graded score

when taking the Santa Margarita on March 15 and, then was shipped outside of

California for the first time for a go in the April 11 Apple Blossom Handicap at

Oaklawn Park, where she ran fourth.

Let Faith Arise is out of the Grade 3-placed El Corredor mare Babe Hall, who

is a half-sister to Grade 3-placed multiple stakes hero Gold Storm. The

Adoration winner's third dam, Lively Living, was unable to score on track but

found success in the breeding shed when producing Grade 1 hero Danger's Hour and

Group 3 victor Stonehatch.

Others of note in this female family include Grade/Group 1 scorers Colonial

Waters, Rustic Dream, Southern Sultan, Successful Affair and Winds of Thought as

well as Grade 2 conqueror Iron Constitution, runner-up in the 1977 Preakness,

and Grade 2-winning top sire Carson City.

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