All Eyes on Catch a Glimpse in G3 Herecomesthebride Stakes at Gulfstream Park

HALLANDALE BEACH, FL — Eclipse Award finalist Catch a Glimpse will kick off her 2016 campaign in the $150,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (G3) going a mile and a sixteenth on the turf.

Owned by Gary Barber, Michael Ambler and Windways Farm and trained by Mark Casse, the 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 at Keeneland on October 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 stablemate Tepin’s romp in the $2-million Breeders’ Cup Mile and a runner-up effort by Conquest Airoforce in the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1).

“You always have these naysayers, but (her win) was really more a sense of relief,” assistant trainer Norman Casse reflected. “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 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 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 the Palm Meadows Training Center and has recorded seven workouts, including a half-mile move on the grass in :47.30 last Saturday.

“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 post 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 on January 2. A daughter of Giant’s Causeway, the Mathis Stable colorbearer had 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 when she breaks from post four in the Herecomesthebride.

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

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

Source: Gulfstream Park