Cairo Prince’s brilliant 3-year-old filly Royal Charlotte added the $150,000 Victory Ride S. (G3) to her unblemished resume on Friday, winning the 6 1/2-furlong contest by a comfortable four lengths.
The win was the gray or roan filly’s first graded stakes score, improved her record to four-for-four and her earnings to $201,900.
Ridden with confidence by Javier Castellano, Royal Charlotte sat in fourth for the first half-mile, then went three-wide into the stretch to assume command, and drew off in the final furlong to win easily.
“We’ve always thought she was a nice filly,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “She’s always trained well, but she’s been a bit of an overachiever. She always runs a little better than she trains, and for a horse like this to start off her career and keep getting better with every start and be so honest and consistent, I’m really lucky to have her.”
Brown said even bigger races are on the filly’s horizon.
“You look forward to a race like the Test (G1, Aug. 3 at Saratoga) for her from here. She’s earned it. Every race she’s run in she’s continued to improve, and she has to be one of the top contenders now.”
Royal Charlotte is owned by First Row Partners and was bred in Kentucky by Rhineshire Farm LLC. She is the second graded winner and one of five black-type victors for her sire and is the first foal out of Sass and Class.
Cairo Prince has been a top-three Second-Crop sire all year and has accounted for three stakes winners and six stakes horses overall in 2019.
