Princess Warrior Grinds it Out in Mrs. Revere
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Photo: Adrianna Lynch
Princess Warrior wins the Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs
In her previous four starts before the Nov. 23 Mrs. Revere Stakes (G2T), Princess Warrior had proven she could hold her own against some of the more talented turf distaffers.
After making a sweeping move on the Churchill Downs far turn and putting away a stubborn pacesetter in Cool Beans in late stretch, the daughter of Midshipman showed she could close the deal on success at an elevated level as she captured the $200,000 turf test Friday to earn her first graded stakes victory.
As she reached the wire one length in front, Princess Warrior made good on the quality she had been teasing of for some time. She began her career on the dirt, getting runner-up honors in the 2017 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) in her second career start and going on to place in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (G2) this March. It was after that Gulfstream outing, however, that the bay filly suddenly had her main-track form head south—finishing off the board in her next three starts where she was beaten more than 60 lengths.
"She fell off form on us bad and we felt like she was mostly in heat. It seemed like it was more of a female issue," trainer Ken McPeek said of Princess Warrior. "Since we've gotten her over the turf, she's a different horse. She's a lighter type filly, I never thought she was a big grinder. But I'm just thrilled to win the race."
Since switching exclusively to the turf beginning this July, Princess Warrior had inched herself back into a regular graded-stakes force. Two starts after running third in the Pucker Up Stakes (G3T) in August, she put in an admirable effort to get fourth behind Rushing Fall in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Lane's End (G1T). Faced with traveling over yielding ground for the first time Friday, the bay filly didn't look anything like the 11-1 shot the betting public sent her off at.
As Cool Beans vied with Arabella Bella for the early lead, eventually reaching the half-mile mark in :50.01, jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. kept Princess Warrior in the clear on the outside in sixth as they traveled down the backstretch. When race favorite Stella Di Camelot tried to launch her bid approaching the far turn, Princess Warrior went with her, then went by her on the outside and set aim on Cool Beans at the top of the lane.
"We were really confident in her today," Hernandez said. "Just kind of got her in a good path out there and let her get in her rhythm and she was able to out grind them.
"Coming from the QE2, that was a good race from her, going against Rushing Fall. It looked like (Stellar Di Camelot) would be the horse to beat so ... I just kind of got in behind her and I was confident in my filly that when I called on her, she would give me that kind of run."
Princess Warrior's determination indeed won out in the final furlong as she hit the wire in 1:47.61 with Get Explicit running on to get place honors. Cool Beans ended up third with Kabella and Stella Di Camelot completing the top five in the 10-horse field.
Owned by Evan, Matthew, and Andrew Trommer, Princess Warrior improved her record to three wins from 14 starts with $410,741 in earnings. She was bred in Kentucky by George M. Veloudis Jr. and is out of the Consolidator mare Sessa.