By Stephanie Corum – September 1, 2014
Our Princess, winner of the recent Buzz Brauninger Arabian Distaff H. (G1), looked to solidify her position as the leading 4-year-old filly in the Cre Run Oaks Arabian Distaff S. (G2). The 1 1/16 mile race featured a $30,000 purse, and while it was not an easy victory, Our Princess got the job done.
Our Princess winning The Cre Run Oaks (gr2) at Delaware Park on 9/1/14. Photo by HoofPrints, Inc.
The scratch of Ivory Shores left a field of six 3- and 4-year-old fillies. Going into the first turn, there were three of them across the track – Royal Richess, Love To Dance and Top Thess. Favorite Our Princess was unhurried early and trailed the field. After a quarter mile, Guy Neivens’s RB Burn Baby Burn got the lead over Royal Richess. She set quick fractions for a distance race, including the half in: 51.79 and 6 furlongs in 1:20.04. Our Princess got moving along the rail and quickly advanced from last to third.
Around the final turn, RB Burn Baby Burn held a short lead, but Our Princess advanced by angling between horses. Royal Richess moved with her. Our Princess tried to get out a little bit straightening for home. She got the lead when RB Burn Baby Burn started to tire, but Royal Richess was right there to battle back. Our Princess was not an easy ride for Kirsten Swan as she weaved back and forth, but once she straightened out, the filly put her ears forward and drove ahead. She had 2 ¼ lengths on Royal Richess and RB Burn Baby Burn held for third. They were followed across the line by To Thess, Treasured Moments and Love To Dance. The final time was 1:59.08.
Our Princess, trained by Lynn Ashby and bred in Virginia by her owners Alan Kirshner and Deb Mihaloff of Cre Run Enterprises LLC, is now undefeated in four starts in 2014. Overall her record is 2/8(4-2-1)2-1, $56,225. She is a daughter of Nivour De Cardonne out of Monarchs Princess, by Monarch AH.
