Princess of Sylmar (USA)
March 27, 2010 – Living
Majestic Warrior (USA) x Storm Dixie (USA), by Catienus (USA)
Family 22-d
March 27, 2010 – Living
Majestic Warrior (USA) x Storm Dixie (USA), by Catienus (USA)
Family 22-d
In an ordinary year, Princess of Sylmar’s four Grade 1 wins—which included a sweep of the most prestigious events of the spring and summer for her division and a win over three-time American champion Royal Delta—would have been enough to secure her a title as American champion 3-year-old filly. Instead, after finishing last in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff (USA-G1) won by Beholder, Princess of Sylmar had to settle for runner-up to that rival in the division even though she had beaten Beholder in the Kentucky Oaks. While Beholder (who had been the American champion 2-year-old filly of the previous year) went on to earn two more Eclipse Awards at 5 and 6, Princess of Sylmar failed to win another graded event after her 3-year-old season and was sold to Japanese interests following her 4-year-old season.
Race record
15 starts, 9 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds, US$2,017,220
2013:
2014:
Honors
Eclipse Award finalist, American champion 3-year-old filly (2013)
Assessments
Rated at 120 pounds on the 2013 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for her performances in the Kentucky Oaks and the Beldame Invitational Stakes, 10 pounds below overall highweights Black Caviar (the 2012/2013 Australian Horse of the Year) and Treve (the European Horse of the Year and 1 pound below the top-rated 3-year-old filly on dirt, Beholder (who earned her rating in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff).
Rated at 116 pounds on the 2014 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for her second-place finish in the Ogden Phipps Stakes, 14 pounds below overall highweight Just a Way and 3 pounds below the top-rated female on dirt, 3-year-old Untapable (who earned her rating in the Kentucky Oaks).
As an individual
A short-backed chestnut mare with a well laid shoulder and a strong hind leg, Princess of Sylmar had an excellent temperament other than a few quirks. One of those quirks was that she did not like the noises made by the starting gate during loading, and she raced with cotton in her ears to muffle the sounds. She was an enthusiastic and energetic worker. When racing, she typically closed from off the pace.
As a producer
As of February 8, 2023, Princess of Sylmar has produced four named foals of racing age. All have started and two have won.
Connections
Foaled at Sylmar Farm near Christiana, Pennsylvania, Princess of Sylmar was bred by Ed Stanco and raced for his King of Prussia Stable (of which he was managing partner). She was trained by Todd Pletcher and was ridden to her Kentucky Oaks score by Mike Smith; she was ridden by Javier Castellano in the Coaching Club American Oaks. Officially retired in September 2014, she was sold for US$3.1 million to Shadai Farm at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November sale and was exported to Japan.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 2007 Hopeful Stakes (USA-G1) winner Majestic Warrior (by A.P. Indy), Princess of Sylmar is inbred 4x3 to American champion broodmare sire Dixieland Band and 4x4 to two-time American champion sire and nine-time American champion broodmare sire Mr. Prospector. She is also inbred 5x5x4 to the great international sire Northern Dancer (sire of Dixieland Band) and 5x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Secretariat, the American champion broodmare sire of 1992.
Princess of Sylmar is out of the winner Storm Dixie, who placed in a restricted stakes for New York-breds at 3. A half sister to Group 3 winner Rhythm Band (by Cozzene) and to Poppy’s Baby Girl (by Yankee Victor), dam of Canadian champion female sprinter Youcan’tcatchme (by The Daddy), Storm Dixie is by listed stakes winner and successful New York regional sire Catienus (by Storm Cat) out of the winning Dixieland Band mare Golden Wave Band, who won three non-blacktype stakes at Ruidoso Downs.
Golden Wind Band is a half sister to restricted stakes winners Ty Man (by Nickel Slot) and Tauke (by Bengal Bay) and is out of the winning Drone mare Wind Talk, whose full sister Chugger is the dam of juvenile stakes winner Rebound (by American Chance). The next dam in Princess of Sylmar’s tail-female line is the winner Chic Chuck (by the winning Gallant Man horse Perfect Solution), whose full sister Controversial was a minor stakes winner at 3
Books and media
A short documentary from the New York Racing Association on Princess of Sylmar can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA5Tgy12uYw.
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photo taken by Jessica Morgan at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Used by permission.
Last updated: February 8, 2023
Race record
15 starts, 9 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds, US$2,017,220
2013:
- Won Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
- Won TVG Coaching Club American Oaks (USA-G1, 9FD, Saratoga),
- Won Alabama Stakes (USA-G1, 10FD, Saratoga)
- Won Beldame Invitational Stakes (USA-G1, 9FD, Belmont)
- Won Busanda Stakes (USA, 8F+70yD, Aqueduct)
- Won Busher Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Gazelle Stakes (USA-G2, 9FD, Aqueduct)
2014:
- Won Cat Cay Stakes (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Ogden Phipps Stakes (USA-G1, Belmont)
- 2nd Delaware Handicap (USA-G1, 10FD, Delaware Park)
Honors
Eclipse Award finalist, American champion 3-year-old filly (2013)
Assessments
Rated at 120 pounds on the 2013 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for her performances in the Kentucky Oaks and the Beldame Invitational Stakes, 10 pounds below overall highweights Black Caviar (the 2012/2013 Australian Horse of the Year) and Treve (the European Horse of the Year and 1 pound below the top-rated 3-year-old filly on dirt, Beholder (who earned her rating in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff).
Rated at 116 pounds on the 2014 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings for her second-place finish in the Ogden Phipps Stakes, 14 pounds below overall highweight Just a Way and 3 pounds below the top-rated female on dirt, 3-year-old Untapable (who earned her rating in the Kentucky Oaks).
As an individual
A short-backed chestnut mare with a well laid shoulder and a strong hind leg, Princess of Sylmar had an excellent temperament other than a few quirks. One of those quirks was that she did not like the noises made by the starting gate during loading, and she raced with cotton in her ears to muffle the sounds. She was an enthusiastic and energetic worker. When racing, she typically closed from off the pace.
As a producer
As of February 8, 2023, Princess of Sylmar has produced four named foals of racing age. All have started and two have won.
Connections
Foaled at Sylmar Farm near Christiana, Pennsylvania, Princess of Sylmar was bred by Ed Stanco and raced for his King of Prussia Stable (of which he was managing partner). She was trained by Todd Pletcher and was ridden to her Kentucky Oaks score by Mike Smith; she was ridden by Javier Castellano in the Coaching Club American Oaks. Officially retired in September 2014, she was sold for US$3.1 million to Shadai Farm at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November sale and was exported to Japan.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 2007 Hopeful Stakes (USA-G1) winner Majestic Warrior (by A.P. Indy), Princess of Sylmar is inbred 4x3 to American champion broodmare sire Dixieland Band and 4x4 to two-time American champion sire and nine-time American champion broodmare sire Mr. Prospector. She is also inbred 5x5x4 to the great international sire Northern Dancer (sire of Dixieland Band) and 5x5 to two-time American Horse of the Year Secretariat, the American champion broodmare sire of 1992.
Princess of Sylmar is out of the winner Storm Dixie, who placed in a restricted stakes for New York-breds at 3. A half sister to Group 3 winner Rhythm Band (by Cozzene) and to Poppy’s Baby Girl (by Yankee Victor), dam of Canadian champion female sprinter Youcan’tcatchme (by The Daddy), Storm Dixie is by listed stakes winner and successful New York regional sire Catienus (by Storm Cat) out of the winning Dixieland Band mare Golden Wave Band, who won three non-blacktype stakes at Ruidoso Downs.
Golden Wind Band is a half sister to restricted stakes winners Ty Man (by Nickel Slot) and Tauke (by Bengal Bay) and is out of the winning Drone mare Wind Talk, whose full sister Chugger is the dam of juvenile stakes winner Rebound (by American Chance). The next dam in Princess of Sylmar’s tail-female line is the winner Chic Chuck (by the winning Gallant Man horse Perfect Solution), whose full sister Controversial was a minor stakes winner at 3
Books and media
A short documentary from the New York Racing Association on Princess of Sylmar can be seen at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA5Tgy12uYw.
Fun facts
- Storm Dixie was originally slated to be bred to Ashford Stud sire Grand Slam in 2009, but the stallion was injured the day before the scheduled mating and another stallion had to be used. Majestic Warrior, then standing his first season at Ashford, was the choice.
- Princess of Sylmar got her name from Sylmar Farm, where she was foaled, “Sylmar” is derived from PennSYLvania and MARyland and refers to the fact that the farm’s owners, Ron and Betsy Houghton, once conducted their operations from a street on the boundary between the two states.
- Princess of Sylmar was the first filly to sweep the Kentucky Oaks, the Coaching Club American Oaks, and the Alabama Stakes since Open Mind in 1989. She was the 12th filly to win the Kentucky Oaks/Coaching Club American Oaks double.
- Princess of Sylmar is the namesake for a stakes race for fillies and mares at Presque Isle Downs.
Photo credit
Photo taken by Jessica Morgan at the 2014 Fasig-Tipton November sale. Used by permission.
Last updated: February 8, 2023