The ‘Princess’ reigns the CCA Oaks

Tod Pletcher does it again! This time at the TVG Coaching Club American Oaks a grade 1 race held on July 20 at the Saratoga Race course. Jockey Javier Castellano aboard Princess of Sylmar breezed past with a six length victory at the 1 1/8 mile race.

My Happy Face who was at the lead from the start set the pace till the last stretch when Princess of Sylmar took the outside and gave a strong finish! I was astonished at the last minute speed that she picked up and made it seem like an easy win over the other runners.

Sired by Majestic Warrior and Dam Storm Dixie the three year old filly seemed to be at pace in the beginning, letting My Happy Face take an uncontested leading.

For the ones who thought her win at the Kentucky Oaks was a fluke, were shut to silence with the victory today! Tod Pletcher said; "I think everyone kind of lost sight of the fact that going into the Kentucky Oaks, it was billed as the best Oaks we've seen in 25 years; this filly wins it and gets virtually no respect," Pletcher said. "I think today she put herself at the top of the leader board (for 3-year-old fillies), and now everyone understands that the Kentucky Oaks was a real race." – Bloodhorse.

Princess of Sylmar has six victories in her past seven starts, back again almost after a month; this was a well deserved victory. Unlimited Budget another of Pletcher’s trained was nowhere to be seen on the final turn and ended up last in the five horse field. Marathon Lady and Cue the Moon were in the order of finish.  Letting the filly decide her own rhythm during the race is believed to have done the trick for the Pletcher Team.

With the start of the race it seemed likely for Joel Rosario aboard My Happy Face who had a 1 ½ length lead over Cue Moon and Marathon lady to be winning the race, however with the final turn, Princess of Sylmar geared her way ahead. It was disappointing to see Unlimited Budget behind the troop, the hit at the gates gave him a slow start resulting in his unforeseen run at the race.

As for Princess of Sylmar, my new found favorite, I will be looking forward to her next race!

Princess of Sylmar reigns the CCA Oaks with a 5 ½ lengths win over My Happy Face (runner up).

Pegasus ~ The Immortal Winged Horse

Are we forgetting about some of the greatest race horses, just because their career was as short lived as our nature of interests these days? Considering myself as one of the biggest horse fanatic, I would like to dedicate this blog to those forgotten heroes.

In the history of horse racing there has been many who have come and gone, among them is the son of Mr. Prospector and Angel Fever who was fouled April12, 1997; Fusaichi Pegasus was named after his owner Fusau Sekiguchi who had purchased him for four million dollar. Fusaichi Pegasus was the winner of The Kentucky Derby in year 2000, clocking a magnificent 2:01:12 around the one and one fourth mile race track.

The stallion’s win resulted in the rise of expectations among many. However, there was a great deal of disappointment when he was unable to win the so expected Triple Crown, his defeat at The Preakness by Red Bullet, another great stallion of and an even greater pedigree was possibly the reason for his drop out from the Triple Crown’s third leg The Belmont Stakes.

Even though his fans were greatly crestfallen, his other winnings were San Felipe Stakes, Jerome Handicap, and Wood Memorial Stakes all in the year 2000. Not proving to be the ‘stallion’ he was sold to Irish breeder Coolmore Stud for an exorbitantly high price of more than sixty million dollar. This however did not go in vain, Sire of over 60 Stake wins worldwide that included Champ Pegasus, Bandini and Roman Ruler. Commonly known as Fupeg by his fans, this bay colored stallion had an extensively small career life, but nevertheless proved his pedigree by producing a number of great champions as we know. His statue stands tall at the Northern Horse Park in Japan.

Fusaichi Pegasus to me is one of the greatest legends to be remembered as the first favorite to win the Kentucky Derby since Spectacular Bid in 1979.