Princess of Sylmar, who rattled off four consecutive grade I wins last year, returned to the work tab Feb. 16 for trainer Todd Pletcher with a three-furlong breeze at Palm Meadows.
An Eclipse Award finalist for top 3-year-old filly of 2013 off her six stakes wins, Princess of Sylmar lost out to Breeders’ Cup Distaff (gr. I) winner Beholder.
Under exercise rider Isabelle Bourez, the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Majestic Warrior was clocked in :38.25, her first recorded work since joining trainer Todd Pletcher’s South Florida string in January.
“She just went nice and easy,” Pletcher said. “It was her first little work back, and we’re just getting her back into a routine. Everything has gone according to plan. As you would expect, everything’s come pretty easily to her. She’s pretty push-button.”
Pletcher said he will keep Princess of Sylmar in a regular rhythm of breezes leading up to her still-to-be-determined 2014 debut.
“We’ll just go on a weekly work schedule from here,” he said. “We don’t have a specific race picked out for her yet. We’ll just kind of let it fall into place.”
In 2013, Princess of Sylmar captured the Longines Kentucky Oaks, TVG Coaching Club American Oaks, Alabama Stakes and Beldame Invitational (all gr. I) in succession before finishing sixth in the BC Distaff. Owned and bred by Ed Stanco, the chestnut filly out of the Catienus mare Storm Dixie embarks on her 4-year-old campaign with eight wins and a second from 11 starts and earnings of $1.6 million.