Catch a Glimpse headlines tough QE II Challenge Cup field
October 12th, 2016
That tough neck beat came in the Lake Placid Stakes (G2) at Saratoga and was the sophomore filly’s first defeat since breaking her maiden in August 2015 at Woodbine.
Catch a Glimpse was making her sixth start of the year in the Lake Placid, having captured the Belmont Oaks Invitational (G1), Penn Mile Stakes (G2) against the boys, Herecomesthebird Stakes (G3), Edgewood Stakes (G3) and Appalachian Stakes (G3), with that latter event coming over Keeneland’s turf.
But that wasn’t the first time the Mark Casse pupil has run at Keeneland. The talented chestnut closed out her juvenile campaign by triumphing in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) last October. That, combined with a win in the Natalma Stakes (G2), was enough for Catch a Glimpse to be honored with Sovereign Awards as Canada’s Horse of the Year, champion turf female and champion two-year-old filly.
Florent Geroux has been aboard all year and retains the mount as Catch a Glimpse once again takes on the filly who beat her in the Lake Placid.
That filly would be Time and Motion, who tracked Catch a Glimpse in the Lake Placid before just getting up to stick her neck in front on the wire. That was the Jimmy Toner charge’s first graded score, though she did take both the Wonder Again Stakes and Memories of Silver Stakes while placing second by a half-length in the Belmont Oaks Invitational in her prior three efforts.
Time and Motion will be renewing her rivalry with Catch a Glimpse for the third straight time and fourth overall in this spot. The duo also met up in last year’s Breeders’ Cup, where Time and Motion rallied to be beaten only 1 3/4 lengths in fifth. John Velazquez has the return call.
Harmonize is another who’s finished behind Catch a Glimpse in the past, but the Bill Mott trainee brings a rallying head score in the Del Mar Oaks (G1) into this affair. The dark bay daughter of Scat Daddy was fifth in the Belmont Oaks Invitational, a half-length second in the Wonder Again and third in the Edgewood Stakes (G3) since a close win in the Sanibel Island Stakes in late March opened her 2016 season. Boasting a score in last year’s Jessamine Stakes (G3) over the course, Harmonize gets the call of regular rider Junior Alvarado.
Stays in Vegas has finished third in her past two, filling that spot behind Harmonize in the Del Mar Oaks and the re-opposing Mokat in the San Clemente Handicap (G2). Earlier this year the Jerry Hollendorfer pupil captured the Senorita Stakes (G3) and gets Flavien Prat in the saddle for this Keeneland debut. Mokat ran fourth in the Del Mar Oaks by just three parts of a length and will try to return to her winning ways with Kent Desormeaux holding the reins.
There are two putting win streaks on the line in the QEII Challenge Cup.
On Leave boasts four straight victories, including the Sands Point Stakes (G2) and Riskaverse Stakes in her past two. The Shug McGaughey-trained sophomore will be reunited with Jose Ortiz for this nine-furlong turf test. Queen Caroline is also riding a four-race win streak for conditioner Michael Matz. The Blame filly makes her graded bow in this spot off wins in the Indiana Grand Stakes, TaWee Stakes and Nellie Mae Cox Stakes. Alex Cintron has piloting duties.
Try Your Luck is exiting a 7 1/2-length triumph in the Dueling Grounds Oaks at Kentucky Downs and one month earlier had her nose in front on the wire of the Pucker Up Stakes (G3) before being disqualified to third. The Mike Maker filly actually broke her maiden at Keeneland by 9 1/4 lengths during the spring meet and gets a rider switch to Julien Leparoux.
German One Thousand Guineas (Ger-G2) heroine Hawksmoor makes her U.S. debut in this spot and gets first-time Lasix. Corey Lanerie will be holding the reins.
Catch a Glimpse photo courtesy of Keeneland/Coady Photography
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