Cathryn Sophia fires bullet ahead of Acorn Stakes

OCEANPORT, N.J. – Cathryn Sophia showed that she hasn't lost her edge since winning the Kentucky Oaks by working a bullet five furlongs at Monmouth Park on Wednesday.

Track clockers gave Cathryn Sophia an official workout time of 58.40 seconds. Her trainer, John Servis, timed Cathryn Sophia in 58 3/5, with a six-furlong gallop-out of 1:11 3/5. Nine horses worked five furlongs at Monmouth on Wednesday. The second-fastest time was 1:01.

Cathryn Sophia's work was delayed about five minutes due to a loose horse on the track. The loose horse never interferred with Cathryn Sophia, who came on the track from the on-gap by the six-furlong chute. She backtracked the wrong way to the top of the stretch, turned around, and then galloped easily to the five-furlong pole, where she quickly went into her work.

The breeze pleased both Servis and owner Chuck Zacney, who was on hand to watch his star filly train. Cathryn Sophia is 5 for 6 in her career with earnings of $949,000. In addition to the Oaks, she has won the Davona Dale and Forward Gal at Gulfstream Park and the Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel Park.

Cathryn Sophia is the expected favorite for the Grade 1, $700,000 Acorn, a one-mile race for 3-year-old fillies a week from Saturday on the Belmont Stakes undercard.

Javier Castellano has the mount aboard Cathryn Sophia in the Acorn. Paco Lopez, the leading rider at Monmouth, was aboard for Wednesday's workout. Lopez also worked Cathryn Sophia at Monmouth on May 25 and on April 23 at Keeneland between her third-place finish in the Ashland and her Oaks win.

"I didn't ask for anything," Lopez said of Cathryn Sophia's Wednesday work. "That filly, she can run. She made my day."

Cory Moran, the agent for Lopez and Joe Bravo, put Lopez's comments into perspective.

"Paco rarely says much after he works a horse, but every time he rides this filly, he can't stop raving about her," Moran said.

Servis said Cathryn Sophia will ship to Belmont the day before the Acorn.

"We have to be there by noon," Servis said. "We'll train her early that morning and then head up. She will be in my brother Jason's barn."

Servis said he intends to freshen Cathryn Sophia after the Acorn, with her long-term goal being the $1 million Cotillion at Parx Racing in September.

Servis has a full barn of 42 horses at Parx in addition to 18 horses at Monmouth.