Katinka gamely captures The Miss Gracie

Despite racing wide throughout and dueling the length of the stretch, Shadybrook Farm’s and Pam Klein’s Katinka gamely won Saturday’s $100,000 The Miss Gracie by a nose over Surprise Wedding at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Michael Yates and ridden by Leonel Reyes, Katinka covered a firm 7 ½ furlong course in 1:31.23 for her second win in 10 starts. The 3-year-old daughter of Kantharos had previously finished 10th in August in the Pucker Up (G3) at Arlington Park.

“I thought we were second,” Yates admitted. “She ran great. Couldn’t be prouder. We didn’t want to use her up early because we were outside. We took the blinkers off today hoping to get her to settle today, and she did.

Breaking from the nine post, Katinka was three wide around the first and down the backstretch while longshot Princess Victoria was nudged by Surprise Wedding past fractions of :25.68, :50.40 and 1:13.71. Around the final turn, however, Surprise Wedding and Katinka, still three wide, moved away from Princess Victoria and the race was on. The two battled the length of the stretch before Katinka got the head bob. Gran Cherry rallied late to finish third.

In the $50,000 Sea of Grass, contested over a mile dirt track, Donald Dizney’s Mama Joyce, the 4-5 favorite, took the lead shortly after entering the stretch and drove away to an easy victory.

Trained by Ralph Nicks, Mama Joyce, a 4-year-old daughter of First Dude and a winner of seven of 16 starts, rewarded jockey Edgard Zayas with his third winner of the afternoon. Lirica checked in second and She Takes Heart third.