BY MICHAEL COMPTON
Having competed in graded stakes events in Southern California in her last two starts, Florida-bred As Catch Can appreciated the softer company she found Saturday in a contentious renewal of the $250,000 Old Dominion Oaks at Colonial Downs.
Ridden by Jaime Torres, As Catch Can rated comfortably in fifth early in the mile-and-one-eighth turf fixture. She was patiently handled in the run up the backstretch, saving ground into the far turn. Called on for more run in the stretch, As Catch Can challenged the pacesetter and race favorite Evershed (Ire) from the rail just inside the furlong marker. After squeezing by Evershed, she stayed to task late to prevail over that rival by three-quarters of a length at the wire, stopping the clock in 1:51.28 over a course labeled soft following a rainstorm that delayed the start of the race. The win marked the initial stakes victory for As Catch Can.
As Catch Can paid $34.20 to win.
“She’s a reliable filly. She’s traveled well and always runs wherever we’ve taken her, so we had confidence that way,” winning trainer Jonathan Thomas said. “She really handled the [weather] delay well, which I thought was big. She had a really good breeze last week at Del Mar and it gave us a lot of confidence to get on the plane. But I’m really glad it worked out. And Jamie gave a perfect ride, exactly what we were looking for.”
“I think she really liked the turf like this today,” Torres said. The plan was to keep her close to the leader. That way she doesn’t have too much to do at the end, and we got the job done.”
Owned by Augustin Stable, As Catch Can has kept top company throughout her racing career. She finished sixth in the San Clemente Stakes (G2) at Del Mar in her previous start and checked in fourth in the Honeymoon Stakes (G3) at Santa Anita in May. The well-traveled and versatile filly also finished second in both the Sweet Life Stakes on the turf at Santa Anita and the Bourbonette Oaks over the all-weather surface at Turfway Park earlier this season. Last year at two, she was a close runner-up in the Mazarine S. (G2) at Woodbine, missing by just a neck to Somethinabouther who wound up third in the Old Dominion Oaks.
All told, As Catch Can is a winner in three-of-11 lifetime starts and has placed in four others. The $150,000 winner’s share of the Old Dominion Oaks purse boosted her bankroll to $320,395.
Bred in the Sunshine State by Loren Nichols, As Catch Can is by Mo Town and is produced from the unraced Justin Philip mare Just a Catch, a full sister to stakes-winner What a Catch and a half-sister to stakes winner and graded stakes-placed Dubini. This is also the family of Grade 1-winner Girvin, Grade 3-winner and Classic-placed Midnight Bourbon, and graded stakes-winners Cocked and Loaded and Pirate’s Punch.
As Catch Can sold to Donato Lanni, agent, for $210,000 out of the Top Line Sales consignment at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.
Return to the September 6 issue of Wire to Wire
