Catch a Glimpse Preps on Keeneland Turf

Exercise rider E.J. Bowler knew what her hands were telling her during her time on the Keeneland turf course Sunday morning. But shortly after guiding Canadian Horse of the Year Catch a Glimpse through her final work in advance of the Oct. 15 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes Presented by Lane’s End (gr. IT) at Keeneland, Bowler found herself that much more impressed once she watched her handiwork on video replay.

“She just looks so happy out here,” Bowler said. “She doesn’t even look like she’s moving that fast.”

“Smooth” and “effortless” were the adjectives used to the describe Catch a Glimpse as she zipped through a four-furlong move in :49 over the turf course. With Bowler in the irons, the 3-year-old daughter of City Zip   covered the opening quarter in :25 3/5, getting her lead changes without issue and galloping out in energetic fashion.

Since joining trainer Mark Casse’s team this March, assistant trainer David Carroll has been the main caretaker of Catch a Glimpse when she is in Kentucky, but Sunday’s move marked the first time he had seen her work over the turf.

“All her breezes in the spring here were on the dirt so I’ve actually never seen her breeze on the turf, and she was just so smooth,” Carroll beamed. “I was impressed with the way she moved. We’re going into the race here firing on all cylinders. She’s doing great and now we’ve got that breeze out of the way. Hopefully, we’ll have a good week and look forward to the Queen Elizabeth II.”

Owned by Gary Barber, Michael James Ambler, and Windways Farm, Catch a Glimpse heads into the QE II  off a runner-up finish to Time and Motion in Saratoga’s Lake Placid Stakes (gr. IIT) Aug. 21. That narrow defeat snapped an eight-race win streak for the chestnut filly and marked her first loss since she ran fifth in her debut on the dirt at Saratoga in July 2015.

She has been most at home – literally and figuratively – at Keeneland. Catch a Glimpse in unbeaten in two starts at the Lexington track, winning the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT) last fall and taking the Appalachian Stakes Presented by Japan Racing Association (gr. IIIT) April 14.

“She ran a great race last time, we just got beat by a very nice filly from (Jimmy) Toner, and it wasn’t a fluke,” Carroll said. “We’re looking forward to getting back to her home turf here.

“Having not seen her all summer (while she was in Saratoga) and having her come back, there has been a change in her and it’s a change for the better. She certainly means an awful lot to us and to me personally. I’d love to see her come back and win here Saturday.”

Bred in Kentucky by Branch Equine, Catch a Glimpse captured the Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) over 1 ¼-miles at Belmont Park in July but Carroll says a trip to Santa Anita Park for the Nov. 5 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) is not necessarily set in stone.

“Everything would have to go right for her (for us to go),” Carroll said. “She’d have to win and of course she’d have to come out well and the owners and Mark would make that decision. Right now, our goal is the Queen Elizabeth.”

As Carroll admired the morning activities, fellow assistant trainer Norman Casse reported from Churchill Downs that champion turf female Tepin was “doing great” the morning after her shocking runner-up finish behind Photo Call in the Oct. 8 First Lady Stakes (gr. IT).

While the loss halted an eight-race win streak for Robert Masterson’s Tepin, Casse was anything but disappointed in the 5-year-old mare’s effort and feels the daughter of Bernstein is still primed to defend her title in the Breeders’ Cup Mile (gr. IT).

“She looks really good this morning, I think we all feel a lot better today,” Casse said. “I just think it stung a little bit yesterday but, going forward, we got exactly what we wanted out of the race other than winning. I think we’re sitting on a really big effort come Breeders’ Cup.”

Casse also reported that John Oxley’s Classic Empire, winner of the Claiborne Breeders’ Futurity (gr. I) on Oct. 8 was in good order Sunday morning.