Facil Catana earned a facile victory Sunday at SunRay Park, leading almost every step of the way for a 2 ¾-length score in the $51,300 Frontier Trophy Buckles Allowance Stakes.
Facil Catana, bred by Gilbert Campbell of Stonehedge Farm South in Williston as a daughter of resident stallion Untuttable, won for the third time in her last four starts. With Catalino Martinez aboard for the first time, the filly opened up a three-length lead after covering a quarter-mile in 22.42 seconds and a half-mile in 44.83.
Facil Catana never allowed the issue to be in doubt, stretching her advantage to six lengths at the top of the lane before stopping the clock for the 6 ½ furlongs on a fast track in 1:16.59. She returned $10.20, $3.80 and $2.40 as the third choice in a field of six 3-year-old fillies.
The favored Tornado Betty rallied to be second, 1 ¾ lengths ahead of I Am Lesters Gal, and paid $3.20 and $2.40. The show price on I Am Lesters Gal was $2.80.
Facil Catana also earned a 2 ¾-length, wire-to-wire victory in a $20,000 claimer at Sunland Park on Feb. 7. She then took on stakes company in Sunland’s $50,000 Island Fashion Stakes on Feb. 28, finishing third behind Queen Greeley. Facil Catana had the lead in that one-mile test, easily the longest race of her career, before tiring late.
The filly rebounded to wire a $26,676 allowance by two lengths in her SunRay Park debut in April. Facil Catana has won four of her eight starts and earned $84,490 for trainer Henry Dominguez and owner Lathrop G. Hoffman. She was a $35,000 purchase as a 2-year-old at OBS in April 2009.
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– Photo of Florida-bred Facil Catana by Coady
