School Board Prez wins 3-year-old and turf debut in Tomboy

School Board Prez, last season’s champion Ohio-bred 2-year-old filly, launched her 3-year-old campaign with an impressive performance in Sunday’s $75,000 Tomboy Stakes at Belterra Park.

Making her turf debut and racing for the first time since November, School Board Prez ($8), with new jockey Olaf Hernandez aboard, outfought 9-5 favorite Katalust in the final furlong to score by three-quarters of a length in the 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-old Ohio-bred fillies.

Katalust, who was making her turf debut and first start against Ohio-breds after five straight top-three finishes to begin her career at Remington Park and Oaklawn Park, was a head in front of School Board Prez at the eighth pole, but could not keep up with her rival in the final sixteenth. It was another 4 1/4 lengths back in third to 37-1 outsider Harlee Honey.

The winning time was 1:45.47.

Based in Chicago with trainer Doug Matthews, School Board Prez is now 4 for 4 in restricted stakes. Her dam, Torrent Song, had only limited success with her foals racing on turf (3 for 42) and her sire, Courageous Cat, had gone 0 for 7 with 3-year-olds racing in turf routes until Sunday’s race.