Catch a Bid wears down Dalika in Riskaverse

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – After extending the now Grade 2 winner Varenka to a close decision in her previous start, Catch a Bid looked like a stick out against restricted stakes company in Thursday’s $100,000 Riskaverse Stakes. But the lightly raced filly needed every bit of the perfect trip Irad Ortiz Jr. orchestrated before becoming a stakes winner herself after notching a hard-fought head decision over the pacesetting and dead game runner-up Dalika in the one-mile Riskaverse.

Catch a Bid was cutting back from 1 1/16 miles off her second-place finish behind Varenka under high-priced optional claiming and allowance conditions five weeks earlier when beaten a neck after gaining a short advantage in early stretch. Varenka flattered the effort by coming back to dead heat for win with Catch a Bid’s stablemate Regal Glory in Saturday’s Lake Placid.

On Thursday, Ortiz was content to rate Catch a Bid near midpack while getting her right over to the rail to save ground in the scratch-reduced field of just six 3-year-old fillies. Catch a Bid continued along the inside to the stretch and eased out to commence her bid leaving the final turn before gradually wearing down the leader late. Dalika, who finished sixth in Arlington Park’s Hatoof Stakes in her previous start, controlled the pace from the outset under Jose Ortiz, remained clear through midstretch, but could not quite contain the winner at the end.

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Xanthique finished another 1 1/2 lengths farther back in third. She was followed by Catch a Bid’s uncoupled stablemate New and Improved, Hotsy Totsy, and All Quality. Varenka, no longer eligible for the Riskaverse as a result of her graded stakes win last weekend, was one of four horses scratched earlier in the day.

Catch a Bid is a daughter of Real Solution owned by Klaravich Stables Inc. and trained by Chad Brown. She completed the distance over a yielding course in 1:36.31 and paid $3.80.

“Perfect trip,” said Brown. “[Irad] pocketed her up nicely and when it opened up on the inside down the backside I liked the fact [he] just moved her into the easy pace in very close striking distance. Luckily he was in close proximity turning for home because the leader fought hard. I still think she’s a bit of a miler, and I liked the cutback today very much. I’m going to continue to look for races like this. The Pebbles would likely be next.”

The $200,000 Pebbles will be decided at Belmont Park on September 14.