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Catherinethegreat Gate-To-Wire In Schuylerville

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John Oxley’s Catherinethegreat led from gate to wire in Friday’s Schuylerville, earning her first graded stakes victory by several lengths under jockey Jose Ortiz. The juvenile daughter of Uncaptured, off as the second choice at 3-1, covered six furlongs in 1:09.98 over Saratoga’s fast main track. Trained by Mark Casse, Catherinethegreat has now won two of her three starts for earnings of $136,000.

Catherinethegreat broke from the rail under jockey Jose Ortiz and sat an unhindered trip while rival Nonna Madeline, the 2-1 favorite, broke last before being sent up under Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez in the field of 10.

Following an opening quarter-mile in 21.78 seconds, Catherinethegreat covered the half-mile in 44.64 and five-eighths of a mile in 56.92. Ortiz, aboard for the first time, set his filly down and took command through the stretch over Nonna Madeline, who held the runner-up spot by three-quarters of a length over Congrats Gal.

“Unfortunately, with the break we didn’t have a whole lot of choice but to go,” Casse said. “I talked to Jose about her this morning and I said if she breaks, you might have to go. It didn’t hurt our feeling that [Nonna Madeline] got away a little slow because she most likely would of hooked up with her early. I was nervous when I first saw the fractions and, after, I thought she’s a pretty good horse. Jose’s a top rider. He’s one of the best in the world. I don’t try to give too many instructions. I just try to get the best riders I can and let them to their job.”

The victory was the second straight for the gray Florida-bred filly after she broke her maiden by 10 1/4 lengths in the slop on June 23 at Gulfstream Park, her second start after finishing second in her debut less than a month prior, also in the slop.

Returning $8.40 for a $2 win wager, Catherinethegreat was one of three horses Casse saddled in the race. His other two entries, Eyeinthesky and Tapping Pearl, finished sixth and ninth, respectively. His son Norman, recently out on his own after serving as Mark’s longtime assistant, saddled seventh-place finisher Fightress.

“It’s weird [to run against his son], but it’s a great feeling,” Casse said. “Here we are at Saratoga, it doesn’t get any better at Saratoga. The only thing that would’ve been better is if my dad had been here. … I’ve been watching the Schuylerville since I was a little boy and to think there were four Casse horses in there; it doesn’t get much better than that.”

Runner-up Nonna Madeline finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Congrats Gal in third. Serengeti Empress, Lady Apple, Eyeinthesky, Fightress, Lonely Road, Tapping Pearl, and Blame the Frog completed the order of finish.

The post Catherinethegreat Gate-To-Wire In Schuylerville appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Daddy Is A Legend Gets Up The Rail For Lake George Triumph

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Jim and Susan Hill’s Daddy Is A Legend had to bull her way through at the rail, but the 8-5 favorite was able to get clear late to win Friday’s Grade 3 Lake George Stakes at Saratoga by two lengths. The 3-year-old daughter of Scat Daddy, ridden by Manny Franco for trainer George Weaver, covered 1 1/16 miles over the firm turf course in 1:40.42.

Daddy Is a Legend stayed off the early pace as Punked led the seven-horse field through early fractions of 23.92 seconds for a quarter-mile and the half in 47.71 on the firm Mellon turf.

Under jockey Manny Franco, Daddy Is a Legend saved ground on the backstretch and gained steadily until the far turn, where she overtook Goodthingstaketime from the inside before running neck-and-neck with Altea in the stretch.

Under urging from Franco’s left-handed whip, Daddy Is a Legend gained separation and held on for a two-length win, completing the 1 1/16-mile course in 1:40.42.

“It is important [to save ground] and today, we got a good draw, so the main thing was to break good and get my position and wait,” Franco said. “It worked out good.

“The main thing, [trainer] George [Weaver] told me to wait,” he added. “He didn’t want me to move too early, so I was trying to follow somebody that was going to keep going and that’s what I did. I waited as long as I could and the inside opened so I just sent my filly and she was there for me.”

Daddy Is a Legend won for the first time since the Grade 2 Jimmy Durante on November 25 at Del Mar to give Weaver his first win of the meet.

“More pace developed than I thought there was going to be, which sometimes happens when there’s no pace in the race,” Weaver said. “She was in a good spot, she got some cover and wasn’t too far off the pace and she was ready to pounce whenever he wanted her to.”

“We wanted to run in the [Grade 1] Belmont Oaks [July 7] and she got a little bellyache getting close to it and it just wasn’t going to happen,” Weaver said. “This was a logical next spot to try. She looked great on paper going into the race. We felt good about the way she was training. I’m just glad she got a good trip, and it worked out for us.

“She’s run well every start this year,” he added. “It’s just a really, really deep division and she’s one of the better ones in it. We’re hoping she can move forward and continue to do well the rest of the year.”

The French-bred Altea, trained by Chad Brown, registered her best finish in four starts since arriving in North America from her native country, finishing 2 1/2 lengths in front of Goodthingstaketime in third.

Andina Del Sur, Heavenly Love, Going Out and Punked completed the order of finish. Nootka Sound, a main-track only entrant, was scratched.

Bred in Pennsylvania by HnR Nothhaft Horseracing, Daddy Is A Legend was a $160,000 yearling purchase at the Keeneland September sale. She won her first graded stake in Del Mar’s Jimmy Durante last November, and the Lake George improves her overall record to three wins from eight starts for earnings of over $230,000.

The post Daddy Is A Legend Gets Up The Rail For Lake George Triumph appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

Oxley Filly Blitzes Schuylerville Foes to Become Uncaptured’s First Stakes Winner

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John Oxley’s Catherinethegreat (Uncaptured) continued the strong start to her freshman sire’s stud career with a powerful wire-to-wire victory in the GIII Schuylerville S. at Saratoga Friday. The track’s opening-day card, conducted under brilliantly blue skies in upstate New York, also featured a determined victory by Daddy is Legend (Scat Daddy) in the GIII Lake George S. and a ‘TDN Rising Star’ performance by Phoenix Thoroughbred’s Lyrical Lady (More Than Ready).

Catherinethegreat drifted up to 16-5 from a 5-2 morning-line quote in the Schuylerville as the money poured in on Todd Pletcher’s ‘TDN Rising Star’ Nonna Madeline (Candy Ride {Arg}). The smokey gray filly shot out of the gate and quickly established command. Rattling off a sharp :21.78 quarter, she cut the corner into the lane and quickly widened from her foes. Nonna Madeline, who was off last, briefly looked as though she would make a race of it, but Catherinethegreat showed no weariness and streaked home four lengths to the good of the favorite in a quick 1:09.98, becoming the first stakes winner for Ocala Stud’s Uncaptured.

“Unfortunately, with the break, we didn’t have a whole lot of choice but to go,” winning trainer Mark Casse, who saddled three runners in the Schuylerville, said. “I talked to Jose [Ortiz] about her this morning and I said, ‘If she breaks, you might have to go.”

“It didn’t hurt our feelings that the two [Nonna Madeline] got away a little slow because she most likely would have hooked up with her early,” Casse continued. “I was nervous when I first saw the fractions, but after I thought she’s a pretty good horse.”

Second in her May 26 at Gulfstream Park, Catherinethegreat became Uncaptured’s third winner when she romped home by 10 1/4 lengths going five furlongs over a sloppy track in Hallandale last time out June 23.

Pedigree Notes:

Multiple graded stakes winner Uncaptured (Lion Heart) was named Canada’s Horse of the Year and champion 2-year-old of 2012 while racing for owner John Oxley and trainer Mark Casse. He stands at Ocala Stud for $6,000. He currently has four first-crop winners.

Casse, bidding on behalf of Oxley, topped both sessions of last fall’s OBS October Yearling Sale. He purchased Catherinethegreat during the auction’s open session for $170,000. Oxley’s October sale topper Strike Silver (Violence) won his debut at Churchill Downs June 14 and is slated to go postward in Saturday’s GIII Sanford S.

“I bought her as a yearling and I bought her out of the sale that was not a big sale,” Casse recalled in the Saratoga winner’s circle. “I went around and looked at all the Uncaptureds. When I bought Uncaptured for Mr. Oxley, I said, ‘I really want this one.’ And when I saw [Catherinethegreat], I told him, ‘I found the next Uncaptured.’”

Oxley and Casse teamed up to win the 2016 GI Spinaway S. with Pretty City Dancer (Tapit), who is also out of a Carson City mare.

Co-breeder Wendy Christ purchased Classy City Lady (Carson City), in foal to Kodiak Kowboy, for $4,200 at the 2012 OBS October sale. The 13-year-old mare, a daughter of stakes winner Classy Place (Out of Place), has a yearling colt by Biondetti named Maserati Man and produced a full-brother to Catherinethegreat named Carson City Kid this year. She is also the dam of stakes winner Katinka (Kantharos).

Friday, Saratoga
SCHUYLERVILLE S.-GIII, $150,000, Saratoga, 7-20, 2yo, f, 6f, 1:09.98, ft.
1–CATHERINETHEGREAT, 119, f, 2, by Uncaptured
1st Dam: Classy City Lady, by Carson City
2nd Dam: Classy Place, by Out of Place
3rd Dam: Valee Ann, by Bucksplasher
1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($170,000
Ylg ’17 OBSOCT). O-John C. Oxley; B-Wendy Christ & Kathie
Haines (FL); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $82,500. Lifetime
Record: 3-2-1-0, $136,300. *1/2 to Katinka (Kantharos), SW,
$138,250. **First stakes winner and graded winner for sire
freshman sire (by Lion Heart). Werk Nick Rating: A.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.2–Nonna Madeline, 119, f, 2, Candy Ride (Arg)–Cool Storm, by
Storm Cat. ($130,000 Ylg ’17 KEESEP). O-St. Elias Stable & MeB
Racing Stables LLC; B-WinStar Farm, LLC (KY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher. $30,000. ‘TDN Rising Star‘ 3–Congrats Gal, 119, f, 2, Congrats–G City Gal, by Elusive
Quality. ($7,000 Ylg ’17 OBSOCT; $57,000 2yo ’18 OBSAPR).
O-Charles L. Biggs; B-Woodford Thoroughbreds, LLC. (FL);
T-Cathal A. Lynch. $18,000.Margins: 4 1/4, 3/4, 4HF. Odds: 3.20, 2.15, 14.70.
Also Ran: Serengeti Empress, Lady Apple, Eyeinthesky, Fightress, Lonely Road, Tapping Pearl, Blame the Frog. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

More Than Ready Filly Earns Rising Stardom in Salty Spa Baby Race

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Lyrical Lady (f, 2, More Than Ready–La Song, by Unbridled’s Song), dismissed at 6-1 despite her $625,000 purchase price at OBS March (:20 3/5), ran to her price tag rather than her tote attention to score a dominant debut victory worthy of the ‘TDN Rising Star’ nod. Away on top in this loaded-looking event, the dark bay clicked off splits of :22.29 and :45.49 before shaking free of her nearest pursuer in upper stretch and pouring it on to the tune of 5 3/4 lengths. She stopped the clock in 1:04.24. She’s Got It All (Warrior’s Reward) nosed out a green Winandyourin Gin (Into Mischief) for second. Favored Todd Pletcher firster Blahnik (Bernardini) was off very slowly and checked in 10th.

The winner’s dam La Song missed by a neck in the 2012 GIII Arlington-Washington Lassie S. and was acquired for $225,000 in foal to Animal Kingdom at the 2014 Keeneland November sale by the late Vernon Heath’s Centaur Farms. La Song has a yearling filly by The Factor and was bred to Lea this season. This is the extended female family of local GI Hopeful S. winner Currency Swap (High Cotton).

For more on Lyrical Lady’s sale at OBS March, see More Than Ready Filly Heading to Asmussen.

5th-Saratoga, $85,000, Msw, 7-20, 2yo, f, 5 1/2f, 1:04.24, ft.
LYRICAL LADY, f, 2, More Than Ready
1st Dam: La Song (GSP, $138,936), by Unbridled’s Song
2nd Dam: Yachats, by Forest Camp
3rd Dam: You’renotlistening, by Kennedy Road
Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $46,750. Click for the Equibase.com chart, VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Phoenix Thoroughbred III; B-Centaur Farms, Inc. (KY); T-Steven M. Asmussen. *$77,000 RNA Ylg ’17 KEESEP; $625,000 2yo ’18 OBSMAR.