Catemaco Rewards Mulhall's Life-Saving Measures

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Catemaco Rewards Mulhall's Life-Saving Measures
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Catemaco wins his debut at Santa Anita Park

Racing fans didn't have long to wait for the first feel-good story of 2021.

Catemaco, who nearly died as a foal, rewarded his breeder, trainer, and co-owner, Kristin Mulhall, by winning his debut Jan. 1 at Santa Anita Park in the day's sixth race, a $62,500 maiden special weight. The son of Girolamo sprang to the lead in the sprint with splits of :21.44 and :44.29, and drew away by four lengths under Juan Hernandez with six furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.08.

Though he was late to debut, not until he was a newly-turned 4-year-old, the fact he survived to race is a tribute to Mulhall and the others that cared for him when his life was in danger.

In an interview with TVG before Friday's race, Mulhall described how, as a 4-month-old foal on her two-acre farm in Covina Hills, Calif., he was found gasping for breath, and her veterinarian, Melinda Blue, advised her to perform an emergency tracheotomy.

"He was down on the ground, frothing from the nose, and his eyes were basically cloudy. We think he had swallowed a black widow and his whole entire airway was just completely shut off, and (I) called the vet—he was seconds away from dying," Mulhall recalled. "And she said, 'Just get a knife, a box plate, anything you can get.' And she says, 'Just feel the ridges of his trachea and just slice a hole there.' So I did, and he started breathing through the hole."

With the assistance of Humberto "Beto" Gomez, widely known as the exercise rider for 2018 Triple Crown winner Justify  for trainer Bob Baffert, Mulhall was able to insert a syringe casing into the hole in Catemaco's trachea from which air could flow. They then sutured the incision with dental floss.

"We took them to Chino (Valley) Equine Hospital and Dr. (Andreas) Klohnen, the head vet there, was absolutely shocked at what he saw," Mulhall later told Santa Anita publicity. "The horse would have been dead if we didn't do what we did, so the doctor was able to administer the correct implements for about two days before the swelling went down enough that they were comfortable to remove it.

"The horse was in the hospital about a week before I brought him back home and he's been fine ever since. It didn't affect him at all."

Catemaco is named for a horse by the same name that Gomez said was "a freak" when he rode him as a jockey in Mexico City. Catemaco also is a city in the Mexican state of Veracruz.

Though Mulhall praised the colt in a pre-race interview, Catemaco was overlooked by the betting public, returning $30.60 for a $2 win wager. He races for Mulhall's Twilight Racing and Steve Taub.

Mulhall, 38, is the daughter of the late Richard Mulhall, who managed the late Prince Ahmed Salman's The Thoroughbred Corp. after a lengthy training career in Southern California. But her experience in horsemanship extends well beyond learning from her father.

Kristin Mullhall
Photo: Benoit Photo
Kristin Mullhall

She was an Olympic-caliber equestrian rider through her teens before being grounded by a serious arm injury. She obtained her trainer's license in 2002 after working for trainer John Shirreffs.

She presently trains 23 horses at Santa Anita and some horses for trainer Jonathan Wong at her Covina Hills location.

Her emotions understandably flooded forth after watching Catemaco win.

"I couldn't hold the tears back," Mulhall said. "That's the first time I cried after a race. That horse means so much to me; he's so special. The fact that he lived through that and he had the heart to fight through that is pretty unbelievable."

Mulhall suggested the colt would likely return in a sprint, though she ultimately believes he will flourish in longer races given his size.

"This horse just—he amazes me every day," she told TVG.

Bred in California, Catemaco is the fifth winner from the Unbridled mare Diaphanous, a full sister to Banshee Breeze, the champion 3-year-old filly of 1998. The dam's leading money earner is Savannah Sky, a winner of one of 14 starts and $121,930.

Rock Your World Catches the Eye

Catemaco was one of two first-out maiden special weight winners at Santa Anita Friday, the other being Rock Your World, a 3-year-old son of Candy Ride  who won a maiden turf event for 3-year-olds in the day's last race. He completed six furlongs on a firm course in 1:08.47 under Joel Rosario. John Sadler trains him for owners Hronis Racing and David Michael Talla.

A $650,000 purchase by Sapphire Stable at the 2019 Keeneland September Yearling Sale from the Winter Quarter Farm consignment, Rock Your World is the second winner from the stakes-winning and grade 1-placed Empire Maker mare Charm The Maker. Her other foal to race, She's Our Charm, a full sister to Rock Your World, is grade 3-placed with earnings of $143,298.

Charm The Maker also has an unnamed 2-year-old colt by Candy Ride, and an unnamed Curlin  yearling filly.

Rock Your World was bred in Kentucky by Hall of Fame trainer Ron McAnally and his wife, Debbie.

"We've got the whole family," said McAnally. "The mare is back in foal to Candy Ride and we've got (the 2-year-old) coming in next month to my barn here at Santa Anita."