Hawthorne: Catalano filly tries two turns in Whitworth

The seven horses in the $100,000 Pat Whitworth Illinois Debutante, a 1 1/16-mile race for Illinois-bred 2-year-olds Saturday at Hawthorne, have combined to win a total of five races. The only horse in the race with two wins, Class Break, has never started in a two-turn race. There are three maidens in the field, and one of them, Diva’s Diamond, is the 7-2 second choice on the morning line.

Have at it, handicappers – and good luck.

Given its lack of substance, the Whitworth has a decent chance to brew chaos. But if logic winds up having much bearing on the race, it could come down to Our Domain and Class Break.

Our Domain is the only horse in the Whitworth to have won a route race, her win coming Nov. 19 in an open maiden special weight. That she won her first start around two turns is a positive: That her victory came by a neck, after Our Domain took a comfortable lead to the stretch call, is not. A William Stiritz homebred by Cherokee Rap, Our Domain is trained by Scott Becker and will be ridden for the fourth time by Chris Emigh.

Class Break, meanwhile, successfully transitioned from Polytrack to dirt when she won the Showtime Deb, a six-figure Illinois-bred stakes Oct. 22. First or second in all four of her starts, Class Break is a daughter of Sunday Break out of a mare by Benchmark, a pedigree that trainer Wayne Catalano thinks suggests route racing.

“She’s bred to do that,” Catalano said. “She’s doing really well. She trains like a horse that can go longer.”

Class Break, who was bred by Catalano and his wife, Renee, and is owned by Catalano’s daughter, Shelbi, did her best work in the stretch of the Showtime Deb but has tactical speed to stick close to whatever pace there might be Saturday.

Also worth considering is Diva’s Diamond, who was beaten five lengths by Our Domain last month but broke from a disadvantageous wide post that day and has post 2 Saturday.