Pedigree Look: Princess of Sylmar

Name: Princess of Sylmar
Year Born: 2010
Color: Chestnut
Sex: Filly
Sire: Majestic Warrior
Dam: Storm Dixie
Broodmare Sire: Catienus

Profile: In thanks in part to 2004 Derby and Preakness winner Smarty Jones, PA breds have been more and more competitive in Graded Stakes races over the past several years. From Hard Spun to Fabulous Strike, to 2011 Oaks winner Plum Pretty. On Friday, Princess of Sylmar added her name to PA bred G1 winners list. The odd thing is, she in a way is the unlikeliest winner of them all. Named after the farm where she was foaled, Princess started her career with a fourth place finish at all places... Penn National. She broke her maiden at the same track in her next start. She would then go onto win her next three races on Aqueduct's inner track including picking up wins in the Busanda and Busher Stakes before finishing 2nd in the newly downgraded and moved Gazelle which is on the outer dirt track at the Queens racecourse. Sent off as the second longest shot on the board in the KY Oaks, she was at the back of the pack at the beginning before being masterfully ridden by Mike Smith who rode the legendary Zenyatta in his career thorough the pack to nail the 2yo Champion Beholder about 1/2 away from the wire. That gave her trainer Todd Pletcher his third Oaks winner of his career.

Sire

Her sire Majestic Warrior (A.P. Indy) won 2 races in his career. One of those two races was the Hopeful Stakes. As a sire Princess of Sylmar is his top foal to date, but he is only a 2nd crop stallion so much can change between now and later this year.

A.P. Indy (Seattle Slew) is one of the legendary racehorses and stallions in the world. Not only did he win the Belmont and BCC the same year, but he is also the sire of the likes of Rags to Riches, Bernardini, Malibu Moon (who I will be talking about later this week), and Pulpit. Weekend Surprise (Secretariat), his dam also has Preakness winner Summer Squall (Storm Bird) and Weekend Storm (Storm Bird) (the dam of Kipling (Gulch) who is the sire of my all time favorite BC winner Kip Deville) and BC Mile winner Court Vision (Gulch)) among her foals.

His dam Dream Supreme (Seeking the Gold) is a G1 winner herself. She is also the dam to stakes winners Crystal Current (A.P. Indy) and Evolutionist (El Prado (IRE)). Her dam Spinning Round (Dixieland Band) only had 4 foals before being killed by lightning in 1999. Like Dream Supreme she was a G1 winner.

Dam

Storm Dixie (Catienus) only won once in her career. She did though, finish second in the Crockadore Stakes for NYB fillies in 2007. Princess of Sylmar is her only foal to race to date according to Pedigree Query.


Catienus (Storm Cat) began his career in Europe before moving back to states. He would win a stakes at Delaware Park before finishing 2nd in the Suburban and 3rd in the Whitney in 1999. Among his foals include 2005 Belmont 3rd place finisher Nolan's Cat (who at the time was still a maiden) and G1 winner Precious Kitten (1/2 sister to Kitten's Joy). His dam Diamond City (Mr. Prospector) is G3 placed and also spent some of her broodmare career in Japan. She is a 1/2 sister to stakes placed Centennial Time (Storm Bird).

Her dam Golden Wave Band (Dixieland Band) is a stakes winner. Other then Storm Dixie, she is the dam of G3 winner in Dubai, Rhythm Band (Cozzene) and G3 placed Musical (El Gran Senor). This is the same female family as multiple stakes winner Ty Man (Nickle Shot)