The racing career of Cathy’s Crunches got off to a fast start when she won five of her seven races as a juvenile including three stakes. While she has been productive in recent races while picking up paychecks against stakes competition, it has been since December of 2010 when she last won.
That all changed Sunday at Del Mar as the 4-year-old filly by the late Florida stallion West Acre took advantage of a ground saving trip to win the $90,350 Adoration Stakes for trainer Jerry Hollendorfer. Bred in Florida by Gilbert Campbell of Tyngsboro, Mass., Cathy’s Crunches broke seventh in the field of nine and stayed back through fast early fractions of :22.05 for the first quarter and the half in :45.54. Around the far turn, jockey Joe Talamo began to move Cathy’s Crunches along the rail and looked to have the leaders in their sights when Talamo steadied Cathy’s Crunches to keep her off the heels of the tiring frontrunners. But Talamo was able to keep his cool and swung the bay filly to the outside where she ran down Graser to win by a length and one-quarter with Great Hot another half-length back in third. Final time for the mile was 1:36.52 on the Del Mar Polytrack.
Cathy’s Crunches returned a healthy $20.60 to her supporters with $2 win tickets, $9.20 to place and $5.80 to show. Graser returned $9.00 to place and $5.40 to show while Great Hot paid $7.20. It was the sixth career win for Cathy’s Crunches from 17 career starts and she now a earnings of $284,660.
Her last victory had come in the Corte Madera Stakes at Golden Gate Fields some 20 months ago, but Cathy’s Crunches had shown she may be ready for a win after her last two starts. She was second in the $60,000 Alameda County Stakes at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, Cal., on Jun. 30 and third, beaten only a length in the $50,000 Luther Burbank at the Santa Rosa County Fair in Cal., Jul.29.
Photo by Benoit
