Catch a Glimpse filled one of the few holes on the distinguished résumé of multiple Sovereign Award-winning trainer Mark Casse on Friday, providing him with his first Breeders’ Cup victory in winning the Grade 1, $1 million Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland.
Casse – who entered the day 23-0-2-2 in the Breeders’ Cup before having Airoforce and Conquest Daddyo run second and fourth in the Juvenile Turf – had some anxious moments early in the Juvenile Fillies Turf before the field hit the first turn when Catch a Glimpse appeared in danger of getting caught in a speed duel.
But once eased back off the front-running longshot Ruby Notion, who set splits of 24.34 seconds, 49.20, and 1:14.35, she gave off the appearance of a winner to many watching. There in a pace-pressing role in the clear, she settled kindly under Florent Geroux, easily collared the pacesetter leaving the second turn, and kicked clear in the stretch before closers Alice Springs and Nemoralia could mount threatening rallies. She won by three-quarters of a length.
“Watch out – we’re just getting started now,” said a jubilant Casse, who will saddle Tepin in the Mile and Conquest Big E in the Juvenile on Saturday.
While providing Casse with his first Breeders’ Cup victory, Catch a Glimpse gave Geroux his second, following a win last year in the Sprint with his first Breeders’ Cup mount, Work All Week. As she did in winning two prior turf starts, including the Grade 2 Natalma in her previous race with Geroux aboard, Catch a Glimpse showed a spurt coming into the lane.
“When I asked her to go, she flew home,” he said.
European invader Alice Springs, the favorite at just less than 3-1 odds, came from midpack after a slow start to be second, a head in front of the third-place Nemoralia. The latter crossed the wire in front of Sapphire Kitten in fourth and Time and Motion in fifth.
Harmonize, the most-backed U.S.-based filly, ran seventh as the 9-2 second choice in the wagering.
The winner, a 2-year-old daughter of City Zip owned by Gary Barber, Michael Ambler, and Windways Farm, raced a mile on a yielding turf course in 1:39.08, just off the winning time of 1:38.86 posted by Juvenile Turf winner Hit It a Bomb a couple of races earlier. She paid $14.80.
Catch a Glimpse gave Barber, a successful movie producer, his first Breeders’ Cup triumph. Asked if he felt the win could become Hollywood material, he balked.
“This is storybook, a great script, but I think I’ll leave it to the racetrack,” he said.
Perhaps more needs to be written, but there won’t be any more to her story this year. Casse said a rest was in order for Catch a Glimpse, likely in Ocala, Fla., where Casse winters many of his horses.
Courtesy of the Daily Racing Form
