Catch a Glimpse launches her 4-year-old campaign in Sand Springs
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Catch a Glimpse, one of North America’s most accomplished turf fillies the past two seasons, launches her 4-year-old campaign in Saturday’s $100,000 Sand Springs Stakes at Gulfstream Park.
The one-mile turf event, which will be run as Race 6, drew a field of nine fillies and mares. The Mark Casse-trained Catch a Glimpse has been installed as the 7-5 morning-line favorite. Florent Geroux, aboard the filly for the majority of her 12 career starts, has the mount from Post 5.
Owned by Gary Barber, Michael Ambler, and Jeff Begg’s Windways Farm, Catch a Glimpse provided the Casse operation with its first Breeders’ Cup victory when she captured the 2015 Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) at Keeneland. During her two seasons thus far on the track, Catch a Glimpse has earned in excess of $1.8 million and owns a record of eight wins — seven in stakes — from 12 starts. She’s a winner of three Sovereign Awards, including 2015 Horse of the Year.
On Thursday afternoon, while Catch a Glimpse schooled in the paddock with the runners for Race 3, Casse’s son and assistant, Norman, discussed how the fleet-footed filly has trained for her first race since finishing eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) last November.
“I think she has calmed down a lot, from 3 to 4,” Casse said. “The way she has been working in the morning … she seems like she is a lot more relaxed than she had been before. She might be a little more versatile than she was before. But I’m not saying that it is what we’re going to try [take her off the pace]. I’m just saying she might have that ability now.”
The Sand Springs in some respects resembles the spot that kicked off Catch a Glimpse’s 3-year-old campaign, the Herecomesthebride (G3) at Gulfstream Park. She won the Feb. 27 race by 2 1/2 lengths in a performance that marked her first start since winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.
“It’s a very, very similar situation,” Casse said. “Obviously she likes Gulfstream’s turf course. We did a similar work pattern with her. Everything is about the same. It’s just a great starting point for her and hopefully a confidence booster — it’s a little easier race than she had been running in — and it should set her up for Keeneland.”
Casse said he is pleased that Geroux, currently the leading rider at the Fair Grounds meet, will be reunited with Catch a Glimpse in the Sand Springs. In 2016, the native of France was aboard the filly for all but one of her eight starts, the Filly & Mare Turf.
“I think Flo is very good with flighty horses and she is a flighty filly,” Casse remarked. “I’m not so sure she would have become the star she is without Flo. He seems to get along with her really well and we’re happy to have him back.”
Also in the Sand Springs field is Grade 1 winner Celestine, who will be running for new connections after being purchased by Moyglare Stud Farm for $2.5 million at Keeneland’s sale of breeding stock last November. The daughter of Scat Daddy, who was third in the 2016 Sand Springs before winning the Honey Fox (G2), will be making her first start for trainer Christophe Clement.
Source: Gulfstream Park
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