Hungarian Princess rules in City of Anderson Stakes

SHELBYVILLE, Ind. (Sept. 30, 2020) – Hungarian Princess and Sammy Bermudez ruled over the field of nine two-year-old fillies Wednesday, Sept. 30 in the 20th running of the City of Anderson Stakes. The $75,000 race began at Harrah’s Hoosier Park in 1999 and was transferred to Indiana Grand when the state went to one breed, one track in 2013.

An outside post was no hinderance for Hungarian Princess and Sammy Bermudez. She laid low in mid pack as Voodoo Justice and Jermaine Bridgmohan secured the top spot early on. Sweet Justice and Emmanuel Esquivel also picked up a front spot early in the six-furlong sprint. Hungarian Princess moved into contention at the halfway point, ready for the turn, making a sweeping move to the lead.

“She broke better and being on the outside, I was able to get a little closer to the lead this time,” said Bermudez.

In the stretch, Hungarian Princess began to draw off from the field, opening up with every stride and was an eventual winner by six and one-half lengths. Sweet Justice held on gamely for second over Russian Influence and Andres Ulloa for third. The time of the sprint was 1:13.63.

“Around the turn, I knew the favorite (Diamond Solitaire and DeShawn Parker) was behind me and I looked to see if they were coming at us,” said Bermudez. “If there was someone that could be us, it would have been that filly. I know she’s a runner and I have respect for her. But this filly is a runner too. She surprised me she opened up on the field like that. I just kept riding her all the way to the wire, just to make sure.”

Owned and bred by Swifty Farms, Hungarian Princess is now two for three in her brief career. Kim Hammond, the all-time leading female trainer in Thoroughbred racing with more than 2,300 wins, conditions the daughter of Pataky Kid, who stands at Swifty Farms in the southern part of the state in Seymour, Ind. Hammond is currently leading the trainer standings in 2020 and has teamed up with Bermudez for several of her 30 wins this year. Bermudez, a native of Puerto Rico, has ridden Hungarian Princess in all three starts thus far.

“I had never seen this filly until the first time I rode her in a race,” explained Bermudez. “In her first race, something happened in the post parade and she got loose and was scratched. Then the next time Kim (Hammond) put her back in, I was on to ride. That’s the first time I was on her back and she won by seven. She’s a very nice filly and is getting better all the time. I thank God and her connections for getting the chance to ride her.”

Photos by Coady Photography