Cathkin Peak reboots in La Jolla; Hudson Ridge favored
When Cathkin Peak and Sword Zorro were second in turf stakes at Santa Anita earlier this year, they were beaten by accomplished rivals.
Those losses give Cathkin Peak and Sword Zorro solid credentials for Sunday’s Grade 3 La Jolla Handicap at 1 1/16 miles on turf for 3-year-olds at Del Mar.
Cathkin Peak was second to Rock Your World in the Pasadena Stakes on Feb. 27. Rock Your World won the Grade 1 Santa Anita Derby in his next start.
Sword Zorro won the Singletary Stakes in April and was second to the highly regarded Hudson Ridge in the Cinema Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on May 23. Hudson Ridge is part of the La Jolla field, and will be a deserving favorite.
The $150,000 La Jolla Handicap is a prep for the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby at 1 1/8 miles on Sept. 4. The $250,000 Del Mar Derby is the main summer goal for Cathkin Peak, who has not raced since the Pasadena.
Cathkin Peak was rested briefly in the spring, but did not leave trainer Phil D’Amato’s stable.
“He just had some little issues,” D’Amato said. “We did a lot of jogging with him and slowly brought him back up.”
Cathkin Peak has changed since he finished 2 1/4 lengths behind Rock Your World in the Pasadena. D’Amato has noticed a more poised running style in recent workouts from the Irish-bred gelding.
“I’m really happy with how he’s doing,” D’Amato said. “He got a little lackadaisical about changing leads in the past. Since he’s come back, I think he’s figured it out and changes on cue.”
Cathkin Peak, who races for Michael Nentwig, Sterling Stables, and CYBT, tends to run as a stalker, as do most of the La Jolla entrants. Stiletto Boy who drew the rail, is likely to set the pace in his first start for trainer Ed Moger Jr. Stilleto Boy, who won the Iowa Derby at Prairie Meadows on July 2, was purchased by Moger’s brother, Steve, for $420,000 at the Fasig-Tipton horses of racing age sale in Kentucky on July 12.
Hudson Ridge, trained by Bob Baffert, won for the first time in his career in his fifth start in the Cinema Stakes and followed with an attractive win in an allowance race at Santa Anita on June 18. Flashiest, second in the allowance race, won the Oceanside Stakes at Del Mar on July 16 and was entered in Saturday’s Grade 1 Saratoga Derby on turf.
Sword Zorro has not raced since the Cinema, and had three workouts on turf in July for trainer John Sadler. Sword Zorro tends to run from farther off the pace.
The field includes Wyfire, who was fourth of 11 in an allowance race at 1 1/16 miles on turf at Del Mar on July 17 in his second start of the year, and the intriguing English import Zoffarelli.
Trained by Jeff Mullins, Zoffarelli was a troubled second in a minor handicap at a mile at Bath Racecourse on June 30. Considering Bath has an uphill finish through a lengthy stretch, Zoffarelli should handle the La Jolla distance in his stakes debut.