Princess Popstar finishes 2nd in surprising T&T Derby run

The brilliant 3-year-old filly and reigning Jamaican Horse of the Year, Princess Popstar, lost her first career race at the Santa Rosa Park racetrack, in Arima, Trinidad & Tobago on Wednesday, when she was beaten into second place in the lucrative 84th running of the Trinidad & Tobago Derby run over 1 1/4 miles.

In a strangely run race, Princess Popstar, who was ridden by Wilmer Galviz for trainer John O'Brien, was never near the pace for the first time  in her career. The filly was held up for most of the event and never presented a serious threat before picking off rivals to finish second, behind the 2014 T&T Derby winner "Momentum" who is also trained by O'Brien and was ridden by Brian Boodramsing. 

Both horses are bred in Jamaica, with "Momentum" being by Western  Classic out of Sea Treaty and was bred by Everglades Farms.

Glorious Country was third.

Princess Popstar has had a disastrous sophmore campaign as a three year old. She conquered all before her in four races as a 2-year-old, which culminated with her victory in the SVL Jamaica 2-year-old Stakes on Boxing Day - the event dubbed the 2-year-old derby in Jamaica -  and established a precedent when she was voted Horse of the Year as a 2-year-old, a feat never before accomplished in Jamaica.

However, she suffered a muscle injury early in the 2014 season and missed the first half of the year, including all the classic races she was eligible for, the fillies 1000 Guineas, The Oaks, the Jamaica Derby and the Jamaica St. Leger. On Wednesday, she has lost in the T&T Derby, and lost her unbeaten record.