Catapult back on favored course for Eddie Read

DEL MAR, Calif. – There is a certain familiarity to the cast in Sunday’s Grade 2 Eddie Read Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf at Del Mar. Catapult, Sharp Samurai, and Bowies Hero finished first, second and fourth in the 2018 Read and faced each other less than two months ago in the Shoemaker Mile, and they are back in Sunday’s $250,000 race in a field of six.

None of the three has won this year, racing against the toughest milers in California, or in the case of Catapult some of the best turf runners in the country.

Bowies Hero, Sharp Samurai, and Catapult finished third through fifth in the Grade 1 Shoemaker Mile at Santa Anita on May 27. Race winner Bolo is being pointed for the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile on Aug. 18. River Boyne, second in the Shoemaker, is in the midst of a summer vacation.

Catapult was the dominant turf runner at the 2018 Del Mar summer meeting, following the win in the Read with a victory in the Grade 2 Del Mar Mile. Catapult is winless in four subsequent starts, including a second in the Breeders’ Cup Mile at Churchill Downs last November, and a second to Bricks and Mortar in the $7 million Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational at Gulfstream Park in January.

The Read is considered by many participants as a prep toward the BC Mile at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.

KEY CONTENDERS

Catapult, by Kitten’s Joy
Last 3 Beyers: 97-99-99

◗ Trained by John Sadler for Woodford Racing, Catapult was beaten 2 3/4 lengths in the Shoemaker by Bolo, who led throughout.

“It was an odd race for me,” Sadler said. “Maybe there wasn’t enough pace. The winner got away on the lead.”

◗ Sadler said he was encouraged by Catapult’s six-furlong workout in 1:14 at Santa Anita last Saturday, and hopes the 6-year-old can take advantage of his affinity for the Del Mar turf course.

“He likes this course,” he said. “The works have been super.”

◗ Catapult is a stalker. Of his five rivals in the Read, there is not a confirmed front-runner. Ohio, the 9-1 upset winner of the Grade 1 Frank Kilroe Mile on March 30, and Ritzy A.P., a stakes winner at Santa Rosa last August, can be close to the front. Ohio was second early in the Shoemaker before fading to finish sixth.

Sharp Samurai, by First Samurai
Last 3 Beyers: 89-97-104

◗ After a fourth in the Shoemaker Mile in his 2019 debut, Sharp Samurai was third, beaten a neck, as the 1-2 favorite in the Grade 3 American Stakes at a mile at Santa Anita on June 23.

“Maybe he bounced a little bit from the Shoemaker Mile,” trainer Mark Glatt said. “This is his third start off the bench and we’re hoping we see the best of him.”

◗ This will be Sharp Samurai’s first start at 1 1/8 miles on turf since the 2018 Read when he was beaten a neck by Catapult.

“It’s probably better for him,” Glatt said of the distance. “He’s pretty handy.”

Marckie’s Water, by Tribal Rule
Last 3 Beyers: 94-93-94

◗ Marckie’s Water won the Grade 2 Charles Whittingham Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Santa Anita on May 25 and starts in the Read as a prep for the Grade 2 Del Mar Handicap at 1 3/8 miles on turf on Aug. 17 .

“This isn’t the ideal distance,” trainer Richard Baltas said. “We could be in deep water. We’ll try to win this one. The horse has gotten really good.”

Bowies Hero, by Artie Schiller
Last 3 Beyers 99-90-91

◗ Bowies Hero, winless in five starts since the Grade 1 Kilroe Mile at Santa Anita in 2018, closed with interest to finish 1 1/4 lengths behind Bolo in the Shoemaker Mile. This is Bowies Hero’s first start at 1 1/8 miles since the 2018 Read, when he finished a length behind Catapult.