Prom Queen a 3-Year-Old Filly With Plenty of ‘Appeal’

[Wandering Eyes]

There's still time for this flashy maiden winner to earn her way to the big dance.

One of three upcoming GI Kentucky Oaks preps–the GII Gulfstream Park Oaks Mar. 28, GII Fair Grounds Oaks Mar. 21 or GI Central Bank Ashland S. at Keeneland Apr. 3–could be in play for Prom Queen (Quality Road), an eight-length winner at second asking for trainer Brad Cox at Gulfstream Park Feb. 12.

“Just a little early to say which one makes the most sense right now,” Cox said. “I sure like her. Longer the better, I believe.”

The Gary and Mary West homebred raced in tight quarters from the get-go and was shuffled back beneath Hall of Famer Javier Castellano to trail the compact field of five following a half-mile in :47.72.

Undeterred, she split horses beautifully at the five-sixteenths, continued on powerfully while racing three deep on the far turn and showed no mercy from there to earn 'TDN Rising Star, presented by Hagyard' honors.

Prom Queen stopped the timer for 1 1/16 miles in 1:45.77, good for an 83 Beyer Speed Figure.

PROM QUEEN ($3.60) gets our vote after breaking her maiden second time out at @GulfstreamPark. @jjcjockey was aboard the filly by Quality Road (@LanesEndFarms). Congratulations to the @bradcoxracing team and owners Gary and Mary West.

Bet Gulfstream https://t.co/n8J7Nf7Wyh pic.twitter.com/NAVFPO7MgR

— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) February 12, 2026

“Well, I learned a long time ago not to get too excited over a maiden special win. But it was impressive,” said Ben Glass, longtime racing manager for the Wests. “Javier did the only thing he could do. If that horse backs up in front, he's gonna be trapped and he's gonna get nothing.”

Glass added with a laugh, “When he took her back, I thought, 'You're going the wrong way brother.'”

Glass continued, “He did the right thing. I didn't know if she'd respond that well and I was tickled pink.”

Prom Queen previously tired late to finish second after setting the pace going a one-turn mile on debut at Gulfstream Jan. 23. She was favored in both of her career starts.

“She's a big filly,” Glass said. “Brad thought she may need that first out, too. I didn't judge her from that one. I was watching her train–I've been in Florida quite a bit this winter–and I figured she might need that race. She ran pretty quick from when she went to him from the training farm in Ocala. But Brad did the right thing and did a good job getting her ready to run because it's gonna be March in a couple of weeks.”

Glass added, “I hope that we can garner–somewhere along the road–some stakes with her because she'll be worth it in the breeding shed quite a bit with the family that she has.”

Ben Glass | Keeneland

Prom Queen's page is highlighted by the Gary and Mary West-bred and Cox-trained 2025 G1 Dubai World Cup winner and recent GIII Mineshaft S. winner Hit Show (Candy Ride {Arg}).

Her sire Quality Road is responsible for 17 winners at the top level, including 2017 Kentucky Oaks heroine Abel Tasman.

Prom Queen was produced by the Tapit mare Miss Bling Bling, who finished second in her lone career start at Monmouth Park in 2019. Her first foal is the unbeaten 4-year-old colt Money Game (Candy Ride {Arg}), who won his first two career starts last spring and is currently on the comeback trail for Cox.

Miss Bling Bling is also responsible for a 2-year-old filly by Candy Ride (Arg) and a “knock-out, beautiful Maximum Security yearling filly on the farm.” Barren for 2026, Miss Bling Bling will be sent to either Gun Runner or Into Mischief for 2027, per Glass.

Miss Bling Bling is a daughter of C. E. C. Farms homebred Milwaukee Appeal (Milwaukee Brew), the Canadian champion 3-year-old filly of 2009 and runner-up in that term's GI Alabama S. at Saratoga and the following year's GI Juddmonte Spinster S. at Keeneland.

Milwaukee Appeal was acquired privately by the Wests following the conclusion of her racing career. Her first foal Actress (Tapit) carried the couple's hot pink-and-black silks to a maiden-breaking upset win in the 2017 GII Black-Eyed Susan S. at Pimlico.

Actress has also made a name for herself as a broodmare. She is the dam of the aforementioned 6-year-old Hit Show, who was sold privately by the Wests to Wathnan Racing in 2024.

“She wasn't by, per se, the greatest stallion/broodmare sire that ever came down the pike, but she was a 3-year-old Canadian champion and she ran second in two Grade Ones in the States,” Glass said.

“And she was a dirt filly. We didn't know what to expect, but boy, she came through great. You never know. It's like Johnny Sikura told me one time, 'These mares, they're just like yearlings, Benny. Buy as many as best you can. Hope one of them is a good producer.'”

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