Catch a Glimpse can burnish credentials in Edgewood

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Catch a Glimpse, an ascendant star in the female turf division, looks to stretch her winning streak to six in the Grade 3, $150,000 Edgewood Stakes on Friday on the Churchill Downs turf. With 12 3-year-old filly rivals, she has scared no one off.

Trainer Mark Casse said that as Catch a Glimpse has matured, she reminds him of an older stablemate.

“I hopefully don’t jinx us, but I can see Catch a Glimpse starting to display some Tepin-like moves,” Casse said, referring to last year’s champion turf female. “Tepin has the ability to sit, and when you ask her to go, she has a really quick turn of foot. She, a lot of times, makes her own luck because you can position her wherever you want. And I can see Catch a Glimpse getting a little like that. She’s learning to relax a little bit, and then when you ask her to go, she goes. That’s important.”

Catch a Glimpse is unbeaten on turf, including a win in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf last fall at Keeneland to cap a campaign that earned her Canadian Horse of the Year honors. She has showed no rust this season, winning the Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream on Feb. 27 and the Appalachian Stakes at Keeneland on April 14, both Grade 3 events.

“Knock on wood, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her better,” Casse said.

Regular rider Florent Geroux will try to work out a clean trip from post 10.

Harmonize finished seventh behind Catch a Glimpse in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Fillies and faces her again in the Edgewood. Before the Breeders’ Cup, Harmonize won the P.G. Johnson Stakes at Saratoga and the Grade 3 Jessamine Stakes at Keeneland. The Bill Mott trainee returned to win the Sanibel Island Stakes at Gulfstream in her 2016 debut despite breaking poorly. She will need a solid break Friday, as she drew the rail under Junior Alvarado.

Ava’s Kitten and Outside Art finished second and third to Catch a Glimpse in the Appalachian, with only 1 1/4 lengths separating the three. That race was at a mile, and they get an extra sixteenth Friday to catch Catch a Glimpse.

Key contenders

Catch a Glimpse, by City Zip

Last 3 Beyers: 87-87-84

◗ She has won five straight races on three different turf courses since losing her debut last year.

◗ Geroux attributes the three-quarter-length margin of victory in the Appalachian to her getting bored at the end of the race.

“She does it so easily that sometimes she switches back and forth – left lead, right lead – but I think it’s just because she’s not really paying attention because no one is really challenging her,” he said.

Harmonize, by Scat Daddy

Last 3 Beyers: 82-77-77

◗ Worked a good half-mile in 50.97 seconds Monday on the Churchill turf in company with older male stablemate Triple Threat, who goes in the Grade 1 Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on Saturday. The filly started two lengths back and finished on even terms.

◗ She will need to keep it together before the large Oaks Day crowd after getting rambunctious while paddock schooling this week.

Outsider Art, by Five Star Day

Last 3 Beyers: 85-68-68

◗ Filly has kept good company throughout her career, finishing third to Harmonize in the Jessamine last year and third to Catch a Glimpse in the Appalachian last out.

◗ Earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure last time out.