Catch My Cat the class of Freshman

GROVE CITY, Ohio - Catch My Cat heads a field of nine Ohio-accredited 2-year-olds in Sunday's $35,000 Ohio Freshman Stakes at Beulah Park.

Catch My Cat is the only two-time winner and the only stakes winner entered in the six-furlong Freshman, by virtue of his gate-to-wire victory in the Cleveland Kindergarten at Thistledown on July 4.

Trained by Bill Napier, Catch My Cat cuts back to a sprint after trying routes in each of his last two starts. In his most recent start, Catch My Cat dueled to the final sixteenth of a mile in the 1 1/16-mile Best of Ohio Juvenile before weakening to finish fourth, beaten three lengths. Catch My Cat has a record of 2-2-0 from seven career starts and has earned $44,278.

Casey Chavez, who rode Catch My Cat for the first time in the Best of Ohio, has a return call Sunday. Catch My Cat will start as the 120-pound highweight under the allowance conditions of the Freshman.

Dawn's Revenge, a son of Keep it Down, may be the main threat to Catch My Cat in the Freshman. Since trainer Jerry Sparks added blinkers four starts ago, Dawn's Revenge has greatly improved. Dawn's Revenge won a maiden race three starts ago in front-running fashion against special weight company at one mile Aug. 27 at Thistledown.

He returned to Thistledown 10 days later and finished second in the $75,000 Juvenile at 1 1/16 miles. In his most recent start, Dawn's Revenge finished sixth in the Best of Ohio, beaten 7 3/4 lengths. Jockey Luis Gonzalez will ride Dawn's Revenge for the first time.

A pair of debut winners - Jaycat and Jeramiah John - could also factor in the Freshman outcome.

Jaycat stalked the pace before drawing away for a 5 3/4-length score over a sloppy track in a six-furlong maiden special weight race at Thistledown on Sept. 27. Huber Villa-Gomez, the leading rider at Thistledown, has a return call aboard Jaycat, who gets in light at 110 pounds.

Jeramiah John drew off through the stretch after dueling for the first half-mile in his debut victory here Oct. 31, which came at six-furlongs versus maiden special weight company. Jeramiah John was under Beulah's leading rider Marco Ccamaque, who will ride Jeramiah John again.