VY THE QUARTERBACK Scores a Touchdown in Ascot!
Palms Outward Stakes
Grade III
Seven furlongs on Firm Turf
$150,000
Fillies, 2 years old
At Ascot they were probably wondering about the American Football name of VY THE QUARTERBACK but he did a good job of duplicating his namesake, Vince Young’s runs through the defense on a football field. He scrambled all the way through the entire field to score a “touchdown” in the winner’s circle at the Grade III PALMS OUTWARD STAKES.
By far the most successful of highly anticipated freshman sire KITTEN’S JOY’s first crop, VY THE QUARTERBACK went from next to last to easily blow by the field and win the race. That makes two Graded wins in a row and over three quarters of a million in earnings for the gorgeous cream colored filly. She ran her fastest race with a sizzling 87 SPF and now has given trainer Catahoula something to think about. Her previous win in the Grade I KY HORSEMEN DEBUTANTE was at a mile and she looked like she was going to like the classic distances. This race was back to seven furlongs and she looked more than comfortable.
I posed this question to Catahoula and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, “VY got injured last time out in the Grade I Kentucky race even though she won. After 9 weeks of R & R she was back to sharp and with the void of any real longer races this week in her division, I felt this would be an ideal prep for her. While the distance was a little short, I didn’t want to give her a real stressful race coming off the layoff and leave her short for the BB Juvy Filly Turf. So I was just hoping to hit the board this week and get her feet back under her with this start.” That play looks to have played out well but now he will have to decide which distance is better. She moved up to the number two ranked filly at the classic distance and is number eight at the sprints so she can pretty much go wherever she wants to after the Breeders Bowl.
EPIC DUEL took the early lead but faded to fifth at the end. Our winner appeared that she was in a different class than the other fillies. She hung back in sixth place to the half then put it in gear and blew by the rest of the field. EL CAJON ran a steady race, in the top three throughout and finished second. The rest of the field was in double figures behind NOTHIN’ TO LOSE was passed in the stretch by the other two but held on for third.
This is going to be an exiting month for Catahoula and his fine filly as they prepare for the Breeders Bowl. It certainly appears that she will be one of the favorites in her race. I’m looking forward to it already!
Good luck to all runners!
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