Aqueduct: Princess of Sylmar’s 2014 schedule doesn’t include Breeders’ Cup

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – The connections of Princess of Sylmar laid out a blueprint of the schedule they would like to keep this year for their 4-year-old filly, who made a successful return to the races Sunday with a 3 1/2-length victory in the Cat Cay Stakes at Aqueduct.

The schedule includes the $1 million Ogden Phipps on June 7 at Belmont Park, the $750,000 Delaware Handicap at Delaware Park on July 12, the Grade 1 Personal Ensign at Saratoga in August, and the Grade 1 Beldame on Sept. 27 at Belmont Park.

The schedule does not, however, include a return trip to Santa Anita in the fall for the Breeders’ Cup. Now, it’s horse racing, and people change their minds – the Breeders’ Cup was not in the plans for Princess of Sylmar last year until late – but owner Ed Stanco and trainer Todd Pletcher sounded pretty adamant about staying away from Santa Anita.

Last year, Princess of Sylmar finished last in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff at Santa Anita, and her connections felt their filly had a miserable experience all around.

“That surface was really difficult and almost dangerous,” Stanco said Sunday at Aqueduct. “She doesn’t have to prove that, and she’s done so well here, and there are some big, big races coming up.”

Stanco also said that on the day of the Breeders’ Cup, Princess of Sylmar “was not herself in the paddock, and that was a concern to all of us. I don’t know why, but she was just troubled. As Javier [Castellano] said that day, when he went to move, there was nothing.”

That was in sharp contrast to most of her races last year – including Grade 1 victories in the Kentucky Oaks, Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama, and Beldame – and Sunday, when Princess of Sylmar made a decisive move at the quarter pole to split horses and draw away from a field that included graded stakes winner Wedding Toast to win by 3 1/2 lengths. Princess of Sylmar ran a mile in 1:34.79 and earned a 100 Beyer Speed Figure for the win, her ninth in 12 career starts.

“With the way she’d been training, she indicated to us she was as good as ever; we were expecting a good performance,” Pletcher said. “I thought for this kind of race, it came up pretty tough – [Wedding Toast] is a very good filly. We felt like we had her ready to run well. We tried not to overdo it, knowing there’s a long season. There are bigger goals ahead, so I think we were able to accomplish that.”