'Kathy' Prevails in Perfect Sting Thriller
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John Eaton and Steve Layman's Daring Kathy was all out in the stretch to hold off fast-finishing favorite Marbre Rose and prevail in a thrilling finish to the $100,000 Perfect Sting Stakes July 3 at Belmont Park.
Ridden by Javier Casetellano for trainer Chad Brown, Daring Kathy won by a nose in her season debut and finished the mile on firm turf in 1:33.85.
Daring Kathy raced in second as Miss Frost led the field through opening fractions of :23.79 and :47.22 for a half mile. She moved for the lead nearing quarter pole, had command by a half-length in early stretch, and held on to win by a head bob, as Marbre Rose closed desperately from next to last on the home turf to just miss.
Photo Call was third, a half length back in the field of nine older fillies and mares.
"Miss Frost may have run off a little bit, but Javier held his spot against the fence, on or near the lead," Brown said of how the race unfolded. "She did the rest. She really kicked good for home and had enough to hold on. She hadn't run in a while and these other horses had, so I really think she's going to get something out of this race."
A 4-year-old daughter of Wildcat Heir , out of the Kingmambo mare Dare to Mambo, Darling Kathy ($13.60) was bred in Florida and previously was trained by David Fawkes. Making her first start for Brown, she tallied her fifth stakes win—all on turf—taking her record to 7-0-2 from 10 career starts and earnings of $407,531.