Cathryn Sophia Airs in Princess of Sylmar

Jockey Paco Lopez never even asked Cathryn Sophia to run.

In the $150,000 Princess of Sylmar Stakes Sept. 3 at Parx Racing, Cash is King's Longines Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) winner faced a much less accomplished group of horses and was expected to romp in her first start for trainer John Servis since a third in the June 11 Acorn Stakes (gr. I) at Belmont Park.

She did so impressively, white reins drooping on her neck, as Lopez perched motionless in the saddle en route to a 6 1/2-length victory.  The mile race sets her up for a run in the Sept. 24 Cotillion Stakes (gr. I), where she is expected to face off with undefeated champion Songbird for a purse worth $1 million.

Cathryn Sophia was favored at 1-9 in a field of six for the Princess of Sylmar, and turned in a textbook run. She rated fourth off the pace set by longshot Eighth Wonder, who went a quarter in :24.38 and a half in :48.05, then yielded to Disco Rose, who briefly took the lead.

But Cathryn Sophia made short work of Disco Rose, moving up to challenge and running three-quarters in 1:12.56. The Street Boss   filly opened up a two-length advantage without coaxing, and easily increased her margin down the stretch. The final time was 1:37.69 on a fast track.

Cathryn Sophia paid $2.20, $2.10, and $2.10. Disco Rose brought $6.20 and $3. Linda Mimi was third, worth $2.40. Queena Esther, Eighth Wonder, and Tenggara completed the order of finish.

Bred in Maryland by Robert Manfuso out of the Mineshaft mare Sheave, Cathryn Sophia improved her record to six wins and two thirds from eight starts for earnings of $1,109,720. Five of those wins came in stakes company, including the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel Park and the Forward Gal Stakes (gr. II) and Fasig-Tipton Davona Dale (gr. II) at Gulfstream Park before her Kentucky Oaks score off a third in the Central Bank Ashland (gr. I) at Keeneland. She was a $30,000 purchase from the 2014 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale when obtained by Cash is King owner Chuck Zacney from Manfuso's Chanceland Farm consignment. 

Cathryn Sophia is the first foal out of her dam, who since produced three others. Great Craic, a 2-year-old filly by Bullsbay  , was purchased by Thomas Rooney for $2,700 from the Chanceland consignment to the 2015 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern fall yearling sale. The mare foaled a Denman filly in 2015 and in 2016 produced another filly by Bullsbay.

Also on the Sept. 3 card at Parx, which featured five other stakes each worth $100,000, A Fleet Attitude won the Banjo Picker Sprint Stakes; Black Mission Fig took the Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial Stakes; Valued Strike won the Mrs. Penny Stakes; Kobel took the Roanoke Stakes; and Winning the Medal aced the Marshall Jenney Handicap.