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.[bullet ad=”selected-by-team-casse-prepared-at-casse-training-center”][bullet ad=”florida-breds-ftboa”]2–Nonna Madeline, 119, f, 2, Candy Ride (Arg)&log=">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' [bullet ad=”crupi-trained”][bullet ad=”winstar-bred”][bullet ad=”taylor-made-tm-for-you”]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.[bullet ad=”woodford-winning”][bullet ad=”florida-breds-ftboa”]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.
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