Nancy From Nairobi wins Royal Heroine at Santa Anita

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 1:02 p.m. ET

foxsports

ARCADIA, Calif. (AP) Nancy From Nairobi went three-wide turning for home and unleashed an impressive run for a half-length victory in the $200,000 Royal Heroine Stakes for older fillies and mares Thursday on opening day of Santa Anita's spring meet.

Ridden by Abel Lezcano, Nancy From Nairobi ran a mile on turf in 1:37.20 and paid $12.20, $6.40 and $4.20 in the Grade 2 race. It was her first victory in a graded stakes and third overall win in a row.

Ireland-bred Faufiler returned $5.60 and $4.20 as the 9-2 favorite in the field of 14. Defending champion Fanticola was another 1 1/4 lengths back in third and paid $9.20 to show.

The victory, worth $120,000, increased Nancy From Nairobi's career earnings to $271,456. She has three wins in five starts on the track's turf course.

''The turf was soft, so it basically fit her, she likes that,'' Lezcano said. ''I just had my hands down on her and I waited, waited. In the stretch, I had no traffic. I was on the outside and I was in the clear, no complaints.''

Trainer John Sadler said Nancy From Nairobi would next run in the $300,000 Gamely on turf May 30.