Princess of Sylmar takes on five in Alabama

By: SPORTS NETWORK

Saratoga Springs, NY (Sports Network) - Top rated 3-year-old filly Princess of Sylmar will face five rivals Saturday in the $600,000 Alabama Stakes at Saratoga Race Course.

Breaking from post 4 in the 1 1/4-mile race, Princess of Sylmar will again be ridden by Javier Castellano. The Pennsylvania-bred filly is owned by King of Prussia Stable and trained by Todd Pletcher.

Princess of Sylmar has earned $1,007,220 in eight lifetime starts with six wins and a second.

The filly has won four of five starts this year, including wins in the Coaching Club American Oaks at Saratoga and the Kentucky Oaks on May 3.

"She put any questions about her Kentucky Oaks victory to rest in there (Coaching Club American Oaks victory) with a very strong performance," Pletcher noted. "She's trained brilliantly since then. We hope she can repeat that type of effort in the Alabama ... she's established herself as the division leader."

Princess of Sylmar also registered wins this year in the Busanda and Busher Stakes at Aqueduct with a second in the Gazelle at the New York track.

Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert is sending Fiftyshadesofhay to New York for the Alabama. The filly, owned by Pegram, Watson and Weitman, will leave from the outside post with John Velazquez getting aboard for the first time.

Fiftyshadesofhay has won her last two starts in the Iowa Oaks and Black-Eyed Susan. She won the Santa Ysabel Stakes at Santa Anita on Jan. 26 and then finished second to champion filly Beholder in the Las Virgenes. On April 6, the filly finished third to Beholder in the Santa Anita Oaks.

With four wins in 10 career starts, the 3-year-old has banked $612,490.

Here is the full field in post position order for the Alabama: Tell A Great Story, Jose Lezcano; Montana Native, Junior Alvarado; Galloping Giraffe, Rajiv Maragh; Princess of Sylmar, Javier Castellano; Carnival Court, Irad Ortiz Jr. and Fiftyshadesofhay, John Velazquez.

The Alabama has a post-time Saturday of approximately 5:45 p.m. (ET).