What a Catch tracked the pace and rallied to score decisively on debut going five furlongs at Belmont June 2 and made it two in a row with a front-running score in the Rockville Centre S. Saturday, becoming the first stakes winner for his freshman sire (by First Samurai). Showing the way through fractions of :23.12 and :46.48, he was confronted by Morning Breez (Morning Line) in the stretch, but dug in to find more late and claim the victory. What a Catch is a half-brother to Catch the Moon (Malibu Moon), who produced this year's GII Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby winner Girvin (Tale of Ekati) and fellow graded winner Cocked and Loaded (Colonel John). The dam produced a Justin Phillip filly this spring.
“I thought he was very professional,” said Byron Hughes, assistant to winning trainer Todd Pletcher. “He acted good in the paddock, post parade, broke sharp and fought off the second-place horse [Morning Breez] who's a nice horse himself. I thought it was a good race overall.”
Saturday, Belmont
ROCKVILLE CENTRE S., $98,000, BEL, 7-15, (S), 2yo, 6f, 1:11.21, ft.
1–#WHAT A CATCH, 122, c, 2, by Justin Phillip
1st Dam: Catch My Fancy (MSW, $147,676), by
Yes It's True
2nd Dam: Walk Away Rene, by Gold Alert
3rd Dam: Monique Rene, by Prince of Ascot
($90,000 Ylg '16 SARAUG; $265,000 2yo '17 FTFMAR). O-Gary
Barber; B-Castleton Lyons & Kilboy Estate (NY); T-Todd A.
Pletcher; J-John R. Velazquez. $60,000. Lifetime Record:
2-2-0-0, $97,200.[bullet ad=”justincasse-double-pinkblack”][bullet ad=”paramount-congratulations”][bullet ad=”sgv-grad”]2–Morning Breez, 122, c, 2, Morning Line–Tico Breeze, by
Carson City. ($62,000 Wlg '15 FTNMIX; $65,000 Ylg '16
SARAUG). O-John Caputo & Lady DelPo & The Boys Racing LLC;
B-Hart Farm & Rhapsody Farm (NY); T-Carlos F. Martin.
$20,000.
3–Analyze the Odds, 122, c, 2, Overanalyze–The Sense Angel,
by Mineshaft. ($15,000 Ylg '16 FTKOCT). O-Repole Stable;
B-Lansdowne Thoroughbreds (NY); T-Todd A. Pletcher.
$10,000.[bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”indian-creek-seb-murat”]Margins: 1, 6, 2. Odds: 1.90, 1.15, 4.60.
Also Ran: Morrison, Over Salty. Scratched: Lake Party.
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