To say that Friday's Kentucky Oaks winner Cathryn Sophia is a bargain would be quite the understatement.
Purchased for $30,000, the 3-year-old filly ran past the competition coming down the stretch at Churchill Downs to defeat Land Over Sea, which finished second, and third-place finisher Lewis Bay in front of a record Kentucky Oaks crowd of 124,589.
Trained by John Servis, who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby with Smarty Jones, Cathryn Sophia likely would not have competed in the 1 1/8-mile race for fillies had undefeated Songbird not been ill with a fever after the Santa Anita Derby, sitting out the $1 million Kentucky Oaks.
Ridden by leading jockey Javier Castellano, Cathryn Sophia paid $11.40 to win, $5.40 to place and $3.80 to show.
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"The question was, 'Can she go that far (1 1/8)?'" Castellano said. "She proved today that she could and that she is one of the best fillies in the country. It feels so great to win this race, especially the way she did it."
Servis was adamant that had Songbird been among Friday's 14-horse field, Cathryn Sophia would not have been.
"It looked like the only way you had a shot to beat (Songbird) is to run with her, and I just didn't think that would be a smart move," Servis said. "Had Songbird showed up, we probably would have gone a different direction.
"But (Cathryn Sophia) has improved so much since the Ashland (in April at Keeneland), I felt really good. I was a little concerned about how she would be today in the paddock with all the people. When I saw how good she was, I felt pretty good. It has been a long time since I have been back to Churchill Downs, but the results each time have been tremendous. What else can I say?"
Land Over Sea, ridden by Mario Gutierrez, who will be aboard Kentucky Derby favorite Nyquist on Saturday afternoon, broke through traffic in the final 100 yards to get second in the Kentucky Oaks. Lucas Bay, who was a perfect 2-for-2 in her career at the 1 1/8-mile distance, was third.
Rachel's Valentina, the 5-2 favorite and the daughter of 2009 Kentucky Oaks champion and Preakness winner Rachel Alexandra, faded and failed to place in the money, finishing sixth.
Popular betting choice Weep No More, which rallied from 13 1/2 lengths off the pace in last month's Ashland at Keeneland to defeat Rachel's Valentina, placed seventh.
