Royal Prince overcomes tough trip for second straight stakes win

Cairo Prince’s 3-year-old colt Royal Prince rallied strongly in the stretch to win the $75,000 Bayou City S. Saturday evening at Sam Houston Racetrack, his second consecutive stakes win and third overall in six lifetime starts. 

Saturday’s task was not an easy one as Royal Prince encountered interference at several points in the 1 1/16-mile turf event. He broke well enough from his inside post, but had to check behind the leader going around the first turn. He had no luck down the backstretch either as he was under stout restraint most of the way. Royal Prince tried to move to the outside on the turn, but War Falcon kept him hemmed in behind a trio of horses as the field entered the stretch.

When an opening finally appeared with a furlong to go, Royal Prince responded to engage Holy Vow, besting his rival by three-quarters of a length at the wire in 1:43.88 on the firm turf (VIDEO).

Royal Prince, who won the Black Gold S. at Fair Grounds in his prior outing, has earned $146,790 for Steve Landers Racing LLC. He was bred in Kentucky by Sandra Sexton and Silver Fern Farm and is a half-brother to 2-year-old filly champion British Idiom. 

Cairo Prince, the leading Fourth-Crop sire of winners this year, was also represented on Sunday by Qahira, who ran second to champion Gamine in the Las Flores S. (G3).