Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint: Princess Karen to give it a shot

ARCADIA, Calif. - Princess Karen was second in the Grade 3 L.A. Woman Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 8, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Unique Bella.

The race was a prep for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint at Del Mar on Nov. 4, and a chance to gauge Princess Karen against the filly expected to dominate the seven-furlong race.

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Jeff Bonde trains and co-owns Princess Karen, who has won 3 of 7 starts and earned $140,705. Prior to the L.A. Woman, Princess Karen won the Beverly Lewis Stakes at six furlongs at Los Alamitos on Sept. 9. Friday at Santa Anita, Princess Karen worked a half-mile in 48.80 seconds.

While she may be a longshot in the Filly and Mare Sprint, Princess Karen, 3, will have a prominent role as an expected pacesetter. It’s a gamble worth taking for co-owners Karen Norton, Edward Brown Jr., and Bonde.

“Everyone involved wants to give it a shot,” Bonde said.