Petite Ile's dam Aces Full was a great-granddaughter of the American broodmare Hildene (foaled 1938) whose other female-line descendants have included Hill Prince, First Landing and Cicada.
he made her debut in a maiden race over seven furlongs at Phoenix Park Racecourse in October in which she started at odds of 13/2 and finished second to the Dermot Weld-trained Topper Up.
Later that month she started favourite against twenty opponents for a minor race at Leopardstown and recorded her first success, taking the lead a furlong out and winning by one and a half lengths.
In August she was sent to England for the Yorkshire Oaks but looked somewhat outpaced on the good to firm ground and finished third for the fourth time in five races as she came home a length and a half and a head behind Roseate Tern and Alydaress.
The field was not a strong one: apart from Phantom Breeze the only Group race winner in the line-up was Beyond The Lake who started a 20/1 outsider despite his success in the Royal Whip Stakes.
Two weeks later she recorded her first win in the United States when she won the ungraded Yerba Buena Handicap from Double Wedge (Gamely Stakes) and Brown Bess (1989 American Champion Female Turf Horse).
On 16 June Petite Ile was matched against male opposition in the Grade II Golden Gate Handicap and won again, beating the French import Valdali into second place with Pleasant Variety in third.
[7] In July the filly moved south and again took on male opponents when she contested the Grade II Sunset Handicap over one and a half miles at Hollywood Park Racetrack.
[9] After a break of over three months, due to a leg injury sustained in the Sunset, Petite Ile returned in the Yellow Ribbon Stakes at Santa Anita Park on 4 November.
Petite Ile was widely expected to be named American Champion Female Turf Horse at the Eclipse Awards for 1990 but lost out to Laugh and Be Merry despite receiving more votes.