Princess Arabella retired with ligament injury

ARCADIA, Calif. - Princess Arabella, who won the Sunland Park Oaks in her stakes debut on March 25, has been retired, trainer Bob Baffert said on Thursday.

Unbeaten in three starts, Princess Arabella was considered a leading candidate for the Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 4.

“She strained a ligament, so she’ll need some time off,” Baffert said. “They decided to retire her.”

By Any Given Saturday, Princess Arabella is owned by Peachtree Stable.

She won her lone start at 2, and started her 2012 campaign with a victory in an allowance race on Feb. 12.

Baffert said that Princess Arabella was sent to Kentucky recently, but was not aware if any breeding arrangements would be made for this year.

Without Princess Arabella, Baffert still has three candidates for the Kentucky Oaks – Mamma Kimbo and Jemima’s Pearl, who were first and third in the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park on April 11. and Eden’s Moon, who won the Grade 1 Las Virgenes Stakes at Santa Anita on March 3 and was third in the Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on March 31.