Catch a Glimpse Heads Herecomesthebride

Eclipse Award finalist Catch a Glimpse will kick off her 2016 campaign in the $150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT) going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf Feb. 27 at Gulfstream Park.

Owned by Gary Barber, Michael Ambler, and Windways Farm, the Mark Casse-trained daughter of City Zip   rattled off three straight victories on grass last season, culminating with her determined effort in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) at Keeneland Oct. 30.

That was a milestone win for Casse, whose accolades include seven Sovereign Awards as the outstanding trainer in Canada. Catch a Glimpse's triumph in the Breeders' Cup was followed by eventual champion Tepin's romp in the $2 million Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) for Casse and a runner-up effort by Casse-trained Airoforce in the $1 million Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT).

NOVAK: Catch a Glimpse Gives Casse First BC Win

"You always have these naysayers, but (her win) was really more a sense of relief," assistant trainer Norman Casse said. "Then when Tepin came in and won the next day—that was the exciting part. It was a special moment, and it just lets you be more comfortable, and to believe in your program. The relief was with her, and the validation was with Tepin."

Catch a Glimpse, purchased for $75,000 as a yearling, was highly regarded from the start by her connections. She caught a sloppy track in her career opener at Saratoga Race Course and wound up fifth, but earned her diploma when switched to the turf in a Woodbine allowance test in August. The chestnut filly drew off to a five-length tally in the $200,000 Natalma Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine the following month before her successful Breeders' Cup foray.

"We had a bunch of 2-year-olds that we got started at Keeneland, but we only took a handful to Saratoga and she was one of them," Casse said. "We thought she was pretty talented. We always meant to run her on the turf, but when it came off, we took a shot and she ran up the track. But our belief in her was validated when she went up to Woodbine and won."

Given some time off following her Breeders' Cup victory, Catch a Glimpse began to gear up at the end of December at Palm Meadows Training Center and has recorded seven workouts, including a half-mile move on the grass in :47.30 Feb. 20.

"She's been down here all winter with us and has been breezing really well," Casse said. "This race has been on our radar all along, so we're excited to get her started. We'll go race-to-race with her after Saturday; we'll see how she comes out of the race. There's no concrete plan in place for her."

Catch a Glimpse, drawn on the outside in a field of eight, will have regular rider Florent Geroux in the irons in the Herecomesthebride.

She will have to contend with unbeaten Lira, who overcame traffic woes to prevail in the $100,000 Ginger Brew Stakes at Gulfstream Jan. 2. A daughter of Giant's Causeway  , the Mathis Stable colorbearer previously won twice at Gulfstream Park West for trainer Todd Pletcher.

"We're really pleased with what she's shown in her first three starts and the timing is right," Pletcher said. "She came out of her last race really well. Obviously (Catch a Glimpse) will be tough, but our filly deserves her chance in a graded stakes."

A $170,000 Keeneland yearling purchase, Lira will have the services of Javier Castellano from post 4.

Stuart Janney III's homebred Hold Harmless will make her stakes debut in the Herecomesthebride. Third in her debut at Aqueduct Racetrack, the Blame   filly put in an eye-catching performance when switched to the turf for a Jan. 2 maiden race at Gulfstream. Jockey John Velazquez will have the mount aboard Hold Harmless, who drew post 2.

The Herecomesthebride field is completed by Pulled the Goalie, Gone Away, Wedding Dress, Andreya's Reward, and Vieja Luna.

Also on the card, JR Racing's J R 's Holiday is scheduled to seek his third straight victory Saturday in the $150,000 Palm Beach (gr. IIIT), a 1 1/16-mile turf stakes for 3-year-olds. The 3-year-old son of Harlan's Holiday has demonstrated improved form for trainer Jose Garoffalo on the grass, including a last-to-first triumph in the $100,000 Kitten's Joy at Gulfstream Jan. 30.

"He's got a lot of kick, and it seems like he can run all day. The longer the race, the better it is for him. I like the mile and a sixteenth for this race," Garofallo said.

While turf has moved up J R's Holiday, his sudden improvement also coincided with the removal of blinkers and the switch from one-turn to two-turn races.

"I used to run him with blinkers and a lot of stuff. I took off everything. Since then, he has run much better," Garoffalo said. "But this is a horse that needs a lot of work in the morning—mentally. He's green. But with every race he gets better and better."

Among his 12 rivals in the Palm Beach are the second- and third-place finishers in the Kitten's Joy. Don't Be So Salty finished second but was placed fourth for interference, while Azar checked in third before being placed second.