Capture Your Dream quickly pays dividends for Oxley

The sale that landed Capture Your Dream in Mark Casse’s barn paid quick dividends when the 2-year-old filly flashed her considerable potential Saturday in winning the $100,000 Desert Vixen at Gulfstream Park in South Florida.

“It was pretty much a win-win for everybody,” Casse said less than 24 hours after Capture Your Dream earned a 60 Beyer Speed Figure with her 1 1/4-length triumph in the six-furlong Desert Vixen.

For the first time since the private transaction, Capture Your Dream carried the familiar blue and gold silks of John C. Oxley, best known as the owner of 2001 Kentucky Derby winner Monarchos. Oxley is a 50-50 partner with the filly’s breeder and original owner, Kathy Machesky, who began entertaining offers not long after the daughter of Uncaptured won her May 13 debut at Gulfstream by 10 1/2 lengths.

“Obviously, Mr. Oxley has a close connection with Uncaptured,” Casse said. “We were really impressed with how the filly won first-out, and we were fortunate to reach a deal with Kathy. Everybody’s happy now.”

Oxley campaigned Uncaptured, an 8-year-old stallion who is off to a terrific start with his first crop of 2-year-olds from standing at Ocala Stud. Catherinethegreat, an Uncaptured filly owned by Oxley, is foremost among the crop as the winner of the opening-day Schuylerville at Saratoga.

The Desert Vixen was the first leg of the filly division of the Florida Sire Stakes series. In defeating 13 other Florida-breds as the odds-on favorite in 1:11.31, Capture Your Dream clearly becomes the central figure for the final two legs in the series – the Sept. 1 Susan’s Girl at seven furlongs and the Sept. 29 My Dear Girl at 1 1/16 miles.

The counterpart to the Desert Vixen, the Dr. Fager, brought less clarity to the colt-and-gelding division, although its six furlongs were run significantly faster (1:09.94). Cajun Firecracker, trained by Michael Yates for owner-breeder Shadybrook Farm, earned an 80 Beyer as the narrow winner over the odds-on favorite, Fully Loaded. A maiden, Garter and Tie, closed sharply on both in a rough-and-tumble finish that resulted in Fully Loaded being disqualified from second to third for interference in deep stretch.

The remaining Florida Sire races in the division are the Sept. 1 Affirmed at seven furlongs and the Sept. 29 In Reality at 1 1/16 miles.