Princess of Sylmar is Back

Outstanding mare Princess of Sylmar (4m Majestic Warrior x Storm Dixie, by Catienus) started her 2014 season with a win in the $98,000 Cat Cay Stakes at Aqueduct on the weekend. The Todd Pletcher trained mare cruised home to win the one mile assignment by three and a half lengths. “She's so adaptable. If they go slow, she can be closer now, and if they go fast, she can settle. It was ideal, what we were hoping for. Good to see her back. With the way she had been training she indicated she's as good as ever. We were expecting a good performance,” Pletcher said. “I thought for this type of race it came up pretty tough. [Wedding Toast] is a very good filly. We feel like we had her ready to run well, but we tried not to overdo it. It's a long season, and there are bigger goals ahead." Pletcher indicated that the immediate goal for Princess of Sylmar is the Grade I Ogden Phipps Handicap on June 7, with races like the Grade I Delaware Handicap and Personal Ensign Stakes as possible targets before a title defence in the Grade Beldame Stakes. The best offspring to date of her sire Majestic Warrior, Princess of Sylmar is the first winner for stakes-placed Storm Dixie, a half-sister to Grade III winner Rhythm Band and has the overall record of nine wins from 12 starts with prizemoney topping $1.6 million..