Kept out of BC, Catch the Thrill finds spot

ETOBICOKE, Ontario - Catch the Thrill failed to make it into the field for the Nov. 4 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Churchill, much to the dismay of trainer Mark Frostad. She will start Saturday at Woodbine in the $150,000 Ontario Lassie Stakes, her first race since her dazzling victory in the Oct. 21 Princess Elizabeth Stakes.

Catch the Thrill, a well-bred daughter of A.P. Indy, graduated in August in her second start, which came on the grass. She then finished seventh in the Grade 3 Natalma Stakes Sept. 10, and Frostad said she had several excuses.

"She almost fell on her head coming out of the gate," Frostad said. "She got slammed part way down the backside. You can throw that race out completely."

The Breeders' Cup wasn't on Frostad's radar until Catch the Thrill won the 1 1/16-mile Princess Elizabeth impressively, with a Beyer Figure of 90. He felt that she belonged in the Juvenile Fillies lineup.

"She didn't get in on points because she hadn't won a graded race," Frostad said. "I was shocked when she wasn't selected by the selection committee. She had the second-highest Beyer in the field going two turns, and she had enough earnings. Her last race was a great race, and she was listed in [Daily Racing Form] at 6-1 when there were 30-1 and 40-1 shots in the body of the race."

Frostad also entered Moon Path in the 1 1/16-mile Lassie. Moon Path won her maiden Nov. 8 with an off-the-pace rally around two turns in the restricted South Ocean Stakes, earning just a 63 Beyer.

Catch the Thrill and Moon Path both worked five-eighths in the fog over the Polytrack last Saturday.

Quiet Action beat Catch the Thrill when winning her maiden on the turf July 30. After setting the pace in the one-mile Natalma, she wound up second to her stablemate Sprung. She finished a clear second in the Princess Elizabeth under Patrick Husbands, who was aboard in each of her five starts.

"She ran a big race last time," said trainer Mark Casse. "Catch the Thrill got a little jump on us."

Casse said Quiet Action found her niche on the grass, and then the Polytrack.

"The first time Patrick breezed her on the turf, he said that she could be any kind on the turf," Casse said. "It took her a couple of works to adapt to the Polytrack, and now she's quite happy with it."

* Dancer's Bajan and Legal Move will clash in Saturday's supporting feature, the $125,000 Kingarvie Stakes.