The Cicada ($100.000 Purse)
AQU- For Fillies Three Years Old
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
March 19, 2022

The Cicada is not one of the bigger stakes out there, but it can be the type of race that propels a horse into bigger and better things. Catori is a good example of that, as after breaking her maiden last month and working very well earlier this month, she seemed like a good choice to take another step forward, and she would do exactly that. She was our second choice, behind Change For A Twenty, who ended up finishing second in the race. Now, it is going to be interesting to see what trainer D J C Racing Stables does with her next. With six weeks to go until the KYO, does she swing for the fences in a couple weeks, since her mile work suggests that she could have a shot? Or does he keep her on this track for now, and not try to push her so hard? He’ll celebrate his second career win in this race, and his first winner, Lea, ran very well for him, back in the day. K Carmouche was aboard the winner then, and was again here, and they are also his two career wins in the race. The time of the victory was 1:22.05. Previous installments (except for 2005) were six furlongs, so we can’t compare the time to recent editions. Congratulations to them! Let’s take a look at it!

(¼ Mile- :23.09)- The field gets into a single-file line out of the gate, with Zedge Asset leading the way for Asgar. The eventual winner, Catori, ends up being the only stalker at this point, as the D J C Racing Stables filly is a length back. Running right behind her is Martyparty’s Perfect Party On, and then there is a gap of two lengths to Mb Stables-trained Change For A Twenty. It’s three lengths to Cant Fight (Sunny J Farm), and the trailer is Ship House (TwinTowersRacing).

(½ Mile- :46.27)- Zedge Asset is up front still, maintaining the same type of pace into the turn. Her lead remains a length, but the two right behind her are starting to get a little antsy now and wanting to make their move. Near the end of the backstretch, Perfect Party On would pull up to the outside of Catori, and now those two would run together, and each moved down a lane so they could be positioned to pass Zedge Asset within the turn. The rest of the field was not making any further push, with Change For A Twenty two and a half lengths behind the two stalkers. The others had even more work to do.

(Top Of Stretch, 1.8F To Go)- Finishing the run around the turn, both Catori and Perfect Party On would indeed make their move on Zedge Asset and they would be three wide entering the stretch. Change For A Twenty showed much more interest in the second half of the turn and looked like she could still be a player. The others just seemed along for the ride at this point.

(Finish- 1:22.05)- You would have thought that we were going to have at least a two horse race in the stretch between Catori and Perfect Party On, but Catori made sure that did not happen. She would explode with run at the top of the stretch, and easily put both Perfect Party On, and Zedge Asset away. In the stretch, she was pulling away, this race was hers and we can only wonder now what is next in her future. Change For A Twenty got up for second with a good stretch run of her own, but was still beaten by two and a half. Perfect Party On is third while a fatigued Zedge Asset is fourth. Cant Fight and Ship House were reportedly also in this race, though not many people remember seeing them. They go fifth and sixth.

About The Winner- Catori, trained by D J C Racing Stables, and ridden to victory by K Carmouche, is a three year old filly by Local Hero, and is out of Cherokee Lake. She was bred in New York by her trainer as a third quarter two year old and they have been together throughout! Congratulations to the connections! The win is her second in five starts, and her first stake win. Her career earnings are now $113.200.

Track: Fast
Time: :23   :46¹  1:09⁴  1:22

$2 Mutuel Prices:

$1 Exacta: 1 – 4 Paid 22.60
$1 Trifecta: 1 – 4 – 3 Paid 17.50

Scratched: None

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES