King of Prussia Stable’s Princess of Sylmar pulled off a 38-1 upset in the May 3 Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I). The 3-year-old daughter of Majestic Warrior roared past juvenile filly champion Beholder inside the sixteenth pole for the half-length score (VIDEO).
Unlimited Budget rallied for third, three lengths back, edging heavy favorite Dreaming of Julia by a head.
Princess of Sylmar, along with Silsita, Unlimited Budget and Dreaming of Julia, is trained by Todd Pletcher. Pletcher has five entrants in tomorrow’s Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) at Churchill Downs.
Mike Smith was up, winning his first Kentucky Oaks.
Dreaming of Julia, breaking from post eight, was squeezed hard at the start by Rose to Gold from post nine.
“She lost all chance,” said Pletcher after the race. “She got creamed at the start and then was stopped at the three-eighths pole. I thought she showed a lot of courage.”
Midnight Lucky set the early pace and was tracked by Beholder throughout the first seven furlongs of the 1 1/8 mile race. Beholder got the advantage turning for home and opened up on the field. She was collared late by the winner.
Princess of Sylmar, bred in Pennsylvania by Ed Stanco and out of the Catienus mare Storm Dixie, paid $79.60, $29.40, and $14. Beholder returned $9 and $5.60. Unlimited Budget paid $3.80 to show.
The winner has now won five of seven starts.
The Oaks attendance was 113,820, second largest in Oaks history topped only by the 116,046 on hand in 2010.