Catiche makes My Charmer first career stakes victory
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Catiche made her first start for new connections a winning one, rolling to a 2 1/2-length victory in the $125,000 My Charmer Stakes for fillies and mares on Saturday night at Turfway Park.
This was the first career stakes victory for Catiche ($14.62), a 4-year-old Arrogate filly who had hinted at an affinity for synthetic surfaces while making the first 10 starts of her career for Augustin Stable and Jonathan Thomas. She had finished in a dead heat for second in the 2022 Bourbonette Oaks at Turfway, and that summer was second in the Grade 3 Selene Stakes at Woodbine, beaten less than a length.
But Catiche was then forced to the sidelines. She had made just one start this year prior to the My Charmer, coming off an eight-month layoff to finish second to multiple graded stakes winner Millie Girl in a salty allowance-optional claiming race May 12 at Woodbine. She went through the ring in the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky July horses of racing age sale, and sold for $475,000 to Scott Mawaka, who transferred her to Mike Stidham. She got back on the work tab in September in Kentucky, and has been on a steady pattern since preparing for her return.
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Catiche, with Gerardo Corrales in the irons, was never far out of striking range in the My Charmer, sitting in third as Thisnameisokay set a moderate pace, coming around the far turn to the tune of six furlongs in 1:13.04 on the Tapeta. Catiche began to make up ground under her own steam, and Corrales had her in second and running three wide for clear room as they came into the stretch. She willingly reeled in the leader, and opened up in the final stages.
Favored Mouffy, who had been eighth of 10 at the five-sixteenths pole, made a solid run and wound up second by a neck over Thisnameisokay.
The time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:44.24.
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