Ana T. winner Trenchtown Cat will try Azalea or Princess Rooney next

Trenchtown Cat appeared to have a lot going against her heading into Saturday’s $75,000 Ana T. Stakes. Not only was she the lone 3-year-old filly in a field of older and more seasoned horses, but she also was trying dirt for the first time in five career starts. In the end, neither proved any obstacle the very promising daughter of Discreet Cat, who drew off to a convincing 3 3/4-length decision over the odds-on favorite and graded stakes-placed Razorback Lady.

Now trainer Rohan Crichton finds himself with a difficult but enviable decision to make regarding Trenchtown Cat’s next start – whether to bring her back against her own kind in the Azalea Stakes or keep her with older horses in the Grade 2 Princess Rooney, a Win and You’re In race for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint. Both races will be run on the June 29 Summit of Speed program.

“At the moment we’re still kind of waiting on that decision, and I’ll probably enter her in both races and see how the fields come up,” Crichton said Monday. “We could also possibly have Just Ain’t Right for the Azalea, which might help make that decision for us, but we’ll have to see how she runs in the stakes on Friday first.”

Trenchtown Cat was unraced as a 2-year-old. She debuted going five furlongs over the turf here Jan. 13, finishing a game second as a 26-1 outsider after contesting the pace throughout. She came out of that big effort to capture her next two starts, including the Sanibel Island going a mile on the grass March 30.

“She had some issues that became more problematic than we first thought, so we decided to give her time as a 2-year-old,” said Crichton. “Fortunately my owners are very patient. She always breezed well on the dirt but had pedigree for the turf, so we started her there, and after she handled it well, just kept her on grass. But when she ran badly on it the last time it gave us the opportunity to finally put her on the dirt.”

Crichton, who has 30 horses under his care, said he wasn’t surprised Trenchtown Cat was able to defeat her elders in the Ana T., although he admitted he never expected her to win so easily.

“I think ultimately she’s going to be better on the dirt and I think she really has a chance to be special since she’s willing to rate and has about two or three gears,” Crichton said. “All the riders we’ve had on her love to ride her because she’s so professional. I like to say she’s three part brains and one part talent.”

Crichton said if all goes well on Summit of Speed Day, he’ll take her to Saratoga with the Grade 1 Test as his ultimate goal this summer.

◗ Trenchtown Cat was ridden for the first time in the Ana T. by Miguel Vasquez. The victory kicked off a big weekend for Vasquez, who won a pair of races Saturday and three more Sunday, including the Opening Lead Stakes aboard Fast Pass for trainer Peter Walder.

“Not only is he an underrated rider, he’s also a really nice guy as well,” said Crichton.

Vasquez is third in the standings for the spring meet behind Edgard Zayas and Emisael Jaramillo.

◗ A pair of $47,000 optional-claiming races highlight Thursday’s nine-race program, the best of which will be decided as the eighth event on the card going a mile over the main track.

Jalen Journey, who earned a 98 Beyer Speed Figure beating statebred allowance opposition in his last start, will return to open company and figures to be the one to catch again under leading rider Edgard Zayas.

Jalen Journey should receive his sternest challenges from Souper Catch, who returns to the main track off a good turf debut earlier this month, and the lightly raced Stratosphere. who exits a fourth-place finish behind Fast Pass, upset winner of Sunday’s Opening Lead Stakes.