BREEDERS’ CUP RECAPS
Sweet Catomine flies to win in Juvenile
Fillies
Mr. & Mrs. Martin J. Wygod’s homebred SWEET CATOMINE
(Storm Cat) entered the $917,000 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1)
having dropped only one start, that coming in her career debut.
Racing outside of California for the first time, the Julio Canani
charge came to Lone Star Park on Saturday looking for her third
straight win and prevailed by an easy margin under Corey
Nakatani.
Higher World (Peaks and Valleys) took the lead out of the gate
to set the first two opening splits of :22 4/5 and :46 2/5, but
was closely tracked by Sis City (Slew City Slew). The latter took
over to set a split of 1:10 3/5 for three-quarters but found
herself confronted on the outside by Sweet Catomine.
The eventual winner had been settled in midpack four wide, but
started her move leaving the far turn. She found herself blocked
and Nakatani had to pull back sharply, but that didn’t deter the
game juvenile. Sweet Catomine found a hole and burst through to
easily pass the leaders and record a 3 3/4 length victory. She
completed the 1 1/16-mile fast track event in 1:41 3/5.
“I got into a little trouble,” Nakatani said. “I was just
inside Jerry (Bailey). She’s such a good filly, she was able to overcome it.
Even though she is big, she’s by Storm Cat so she has a quick turn of
foot.”
Sweet Catomine paid out $6.60, $4 and $3 as the 2-1 favorite
while starting the $29 exacta, $174.20 trifecta and $1,561.20
superfecta (10-1-4-7). Balletto (UAE) (Timber Country) saved
ground just in behind the pacesetters and gave back $4.80 and
$3.40 for holding Runway Model (Petionville), who was worth $5,
to third by 1 1/4 lengths.
Sis City came in fourth by three parts of a length and was
followed by Dance Away Capote (Capote), Sharp Lisa (Dixieland
Band), Culinary (El Amante), Play With Fire (Boundary), Sense of
Style (Thunder Gulch), Culture Clash (Petionville), Mona Lisa
(GB) (Giant’s Causeway) and Higher World. In the Gold (Golden
Missile) was an early scratch.
Sweet Catomine finished second in her career bow after racing
wide throughout. She returned to break her maiden in the Del Mar
Debutante (G1) before successfully stretching out to 8 1/2
furlongs in the Oak Leaf S. (G2), which she won by four lengths.
The winner’s check here pushed her earnings to $799,800.
Bred in Kentucky, Sweet Catomine is the first registered foal
out of stakes winner and Grade 1-placed Sweet Life (Kris S.), who
also has an unnamed yearling filly by Giant’s Causeway and an
unnamed weanling colt by Gone West.