Undefeated Cathryn Sophia Heads Saturday’s $500,000 Central Bank Ashland

LEXINGTON, KY (April 5, 2016) – Cash is King LLC’s undefeated Cathryn Sophia was installed as the even-money favorite in a field of five 3-year-old fillies entered Tuesday for Saturday’s 79^th running of the $500,000 Central Bank Ashland (G1) at Keeneland.

The 1 1/16-mile main track test offers 170 points toward the $1 million Kentucky Oaks (G1) to be run May 6 at Churchill Downs with 100 going to the winner, 40 to the runner-up, 20 to third place and 10 points to fourth. The Oaks is limited to the top 14 point earners that pass the entry box and currently the cut line is 21 points.

The Central Bank Ashland, one of three Grade 1 races Saturday, will go as the sixth race on the 11-race program with a 3:28 p.m. ET post time. First post time Saturday is 12:35 p.m.

Trained by John Servis, Cathryn Sophia has won her four starts by a combined 41½ lengths and enters Saturday’s race off Grade 2 triumphs in the Forward Gal and Davona Dale at Gulfstream Park.

CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND PROGRAM PAGE WITH SILKS

Javier Castellano, who won the 2011 Central Bank Ashland on Lilacs and Lace, has the mount on Cathryn Sophia and will break from post position three.

Chief among Cathryn Sophia’s opposition are Three Chimneys Farm’s Carina Mia and Stonestreet Stables’ Rachel’s Valentina.

Carina Mia will be making her 2016 debut. Trained by Bill Mott, who saddled Emollient to victory in the race in 2013, Carina Mia broke her maiden by 9¾ lengths here in track-record time last fall and closed her 2015 campaign with a 4¼-length victory in the Golden Rod (G2) at Churchill Downs. Julien Leparoux has the mount on the 7-5 second choice and will break from post position five.

Trained by Todd Pletcher, Rachel’s Valentina also will be making her 2016 debut after closing out 2015 with a runner-up finish to champion Songbird in the 14 Hands Winery Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) here in October. Florent Geroux will ride Rachel’s Valentina and break from post position four. Rachel’s Valentina is 3-1 on the morning line

The field for the Central Bank Ashland, with riders and morning-line odds, from the rail out is: Weep No More (Corey Lanerie, 20-1), Banree (Albin Jimenez, 20-1), Cathryn Sophia (Castellano, 1-1), Rachel’s Valentina (Geroux, 3-1) and Carina Mia (Leparoux, 7-5). All starters will carry 121 pounds.

Source: Keeneland