For Immediate Release: Saturday, September 3, 2016
CATHRYN SOPHIA ROMPS IN COTILLION PREP Kentucky Oaks Winner Set for Matchup with Songbird
The 16th edition of Pennsylvania’s Day at the Races featured not only five stakes for state-breds with purses totaling $500,000, but local fans had a chance to see local star Cathryn Sophia in a prep race before facing the undefeated filly Songbird in the September 24th running of the $1 million G1 Cotillion Stakes. Cathryn Sophia burst into prominence early this year with a pair of grade 2 wins at Gulfstream before winning the prestigious G1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs on May 6th. She hadn’t raced locally since making the first start of her career at Parx last October, long before she turned into a star in the three year-old filly division.
Tuning up for a start against super filly Songbird, Cathryn Sophia was simply too classy for her five rivals in the $150,000 Princess of Sylmar Stakes. Jockey Paco Lopez was quite content to sit patiently early on in the one mile main track race, sitting fourth turning into the backstretch. A steady advance heading to the half-mile pole put her within two lengths of the lead and from there; she basically did everything on her own. Under nothing more than a hand ride, she cruised alongside the leader moving to the quarter pole and without the slightest urging, took the lead and began to pull away from the over matched field. It proved a perfect prep for the 3 year-old Street Boss filly, an easy gallop at a mile without a hint of stress. She hit the line six and half lengths in front, a margin that could have been much greater had Lopez hit the gas. Owned by Cash is King and trained by John Servis, she was 1-9 at the windows and returned all of $2.20 to win. The final time over a track labeled fast, an effortless 1:37.69.
The $100,000 Banjo Picker Sprint went to A Fleet Attitude. The 6 year-old gelded son of Afleet Alex was making his first start off a $40,000 August claim and paid immediate dividends. Getting a nice inside trip behind two dueling front runners, A Fleet Attitude began to ease off the rail approaching the quarter pole and started closing in from about three and a half lengths behind. Catching 20-1 leader Purcell with a furlong to go, A Fleet Attitude edged by to get a short lead, but Purcell was stubborn. The two battled to the finish with A Fleet Attitude prevailing by a half-length. Off as third choice at 3-1, A Fleet Attitude, trained by Marcos Zulueta and ridden by Frankie Pennington, paid $8.20 to win and covered six furlongs in 1:10.01.
The $100,000 Mrs. Penny Stakes, a one mile and one-sixteenth turf test for fillies and mares three and up, went convincingly to Augustin Stable’s Valued Strike. The 4 year-old Smart Strike filly had an inside trip in behind horses for much of the race before finally swinging out for clear running with just less than a quarter mile to go. Turning for home, she kicked in with a big time run and blew past the leaders with about an eighth of a mile to go and sustained that run all the way to the finish, streaking home just less than three lengths in front. With Trevor McCarthy riding for trainer Graham Motion, Valued Strike went off as a slight favorite at 2-1 and paid $6.60 to win. She covered the distance over a course labeled firm in 1:46.18.
The $100,000 Roanoke Stakes was won in front running fashion by Richard Malouf’s Kobel. The 5 year-old gelded son of Sequoyah led most of the way, turning back three challengers during the one mile and one-sixteenth main track race. Under jockey Frankie Pennington, he faced some early pressure from Edisto Bay and then some backstretch pressure from Ronnie Roam, but neither of those two could soften him up for the late runners. Finally shaking loose to a clear lead entering the far turn, Kobel braced for one final test from highly regarded Res Judicata. That test would be short lived. Kobel came off the final turn, opened up on Res Judicata and never looked back, powering away to the finish, coming home a clear cut, four and a half-length winner. Trained by Scott Lake, he was a bit overlooked in the wagering, slipping off at 6-1, paid $14.00 to win and finished out in 1:44.37.
The $100,000 Marshall Jenney Handicap, a five furlong turf sprint, produced the thriller of the day. R & L Racing’s Winning the Medal rallied from ninth in the ten horse field and got up in the final strides to win it. Drawing the outside gate, the five year-old gelded son of Medallist was a little slow to get going, as usual, but under jockey Emmanuel Esquivel, began to pick off horses on the far outside heading toward the far turn. With the field a bit strung out, Esquivel was able to take his mount down inside around the far turn, but with a quarter mile to go, he was still a good six or seven lengths behind. Continuing to close ground nearest the rail, he caught the two leaders in the shadow of the wire, and out finished late running Rapid Dan to win it by a head in a four horse blanket finish. Trained by Patricia Farro, he went off at 6-1 and paid $15.40 to win and stopped the timer in :58.60.
Black Mission Fig rallied to win the $100,000 Dr. Teresa Garofalo Memorial Stakes for fillies and mares three and up. The 4 year-old daughter of Fusaichi Pegasus sat third in the early going, almost five lengths behind two speedy leaders. Making steady progress heading to the far turn, she was able to draw within striking range as they then moved toward the quarter pole. Coming off the turn, 1-1 favorite Disco Chick ran past leader Fat Kat, but winning jockey Paco Lopez had Black Mission Fig poised and moving well in the middle of the race track. As Disco Chick weakened in mid-stretch, Black Mission Fig surged past with a sixteenth to go and then drew out late to win by just over three lengths. Owned by Gold Square and trained by Mike Lerman, she went off at 9-1 and paid $20.80 to win and finished six furlongs in 1:11.08.
