Saratoga: Silsita out nods Broken Spell in My Princess Jess Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Silsita certainly knows what to do around a photo-finish camera. The versatile 3-year-old filly posted her third career victory, all by the margin of a slim nose, when out nodding a game Broken Spell to capture Saturday’s $100,000 My Princess Jess Stakes at Saratoga.

Silsita, a 3-year-old daughter of Macho Uno, won her career debut by a nose last fall at Calder and the Grade 3 Bourbonette Oaks by the same margin over the synthetic surface at Turfway Park in March.

Silsita rated nicely off the pace of Broken Spell for the first six furlongs of the 1 1/16-mile My Princess Jess, ultimately overtook the leader near midstretch, and narrowly prevailed. Broken Spell set a moderate pace, reasserted herself after being headed by the winner in late stretch, surged along the hedge nearing the wire, and just failed.

Lady of Gold rallied mildly to finish third, followed by the 8-5 favorite Wave Theory who finished fourth after angling five wide into the stretch.

Silsita was ridden to victory by John Velazquez and paid $14.60.

[SARATOGA 2013: Complete meet coverage, exclusive DRF videos]

“She put up a big work at Belmont on the turf, so we felt like we needed to get back to it,” said Todd Pletcher who trains Silsita for Eclipse Thoroughbreds & Tanourin Stable. “She settled today, we felt like that was the key to the race. It wasn’t so much where she was positioned as long as she was relaxed. She was able to maneuver a perfect trip from a good stalking position and delivered a kick. She has a tendency to relax a little when she makes the lead, she did the same thing when she won the Bourbonette, so we were fortunate to be on the right side of the photo.”