Katinka noses Surprise Wedding in Miss Gracie Stakes

Racing resumed in the wake of Hurricane Irma on Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where Katinka squeezed out the narrowest of victories over Surprise Wedding in the $100,000 Miss Gracie Stakes.

Favored Gran Cherry finished a close but unlucky third.

Katinka, racing without blinkers for the first time in her career, stalked the pace from the outset while three wide under jockey Leonel Reyes. Katinka stuck her head in front outside Surprise Wedding turning for home then fought on gamely to the wire, getting her nose down in time after appearing to lose the lead in late stretch.

Surprise Wedding, making her turf debut, forced the issue from the outset, relinquished the lead to Katinka exiting the final turn, reasserted herself near the rail to seemingly reclaim a slight advantage in the shadow of the wire only to lose the nose bob at the end.

Gran Cherry raced well-placed while saving ground for six furlongs, got shuffled back on the second bend, came outside for the drive finishing full of run only to fall short with her bid for a third consecutive victory.

Katinka, a 3-year-old daughter of Kantheros trained by Michael Yates, completed 7 1/2 furlongs over a firm course in 1:31.23 seconds and paid $9.20.

“I thought we were second,” Yates admitted. “She ran great. I couldn’t be prouder. We didn’t want to use her up early because we were outside. We took the blinkers off today hoping to get her to settle, and she did.”