By Mike Kane
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Well-named Tough Catch (Complexity) could not be caught Saturday, leading every step of the way to capture the seventh race, a $100,000 5½-furlong maiden special weight contest for 2-year-olds at Saratoga Race Course.
Tough Catch's victory added to Complexity's (Maclean's Music) remarkable start with his first crop of runners. According to the TDN's Sire List, Complexity, who stands at Airdrie Stud, entered the day with 11 winners from 15 starters, 73.3 percent. The Tough Catch score for trainer Dallas Stewart made it an even dozen and sent his connections, On Our Own Stable, Sport of Kings Racing, Gervais Racing, Zak Stables and Stewart, to the winner's enclosure at America's oldest racetrack for a round of smiles, laughter and photos.
Under Luis Saez, the gray or roan colt out of the Broken Vow mare Try to Catch Her, won by three-quarters of a length in his career debut over Innovator (Authentic) in 1:04.63. Sent off a 6-1 in the field of nine, he paid $15 to win.
Though bumped a bit at the start by Moment's Notice (More Than Ready) leaving from the inside post, Tough Catch quickly was in front and held that position at every call of the race. He had a three-length lead at the top of the stretch, but had to hold off Innovator, who was prominent throughout from his outside post position. Tough Catch turned in a smoking first quarter in 21.75 seconds and turned in a second quarter in 23.25.
With 50 percent, Sport of Kings is the majority partner in the group that owns Tough Catch, who brought $280,000 at the OBS April 2-year-old in training sale. Some 90 days after the purchase, the group had a Saratoga winner, who may be headed to the GI Hopeful Stakes on closing day, Sept. 2.
“It's [by] Complexity, so it's got a pretty good pedigree,” said Michael Kares, a founding partner of Sport of Kings. “After we bought the horse, Complexity really started to develop and has a bunch of winners this year. We just liked the girth and the depth of the horse. He's extremely fast. He had great workouts down at OBS. We bought the horse with Dallas and Dallas had some partners, who we formed a great partnership with a bunch of people who live around the country. It's just been a great experience.”
Kares grew up in the New York City area and was first introduced to racing by his grandfather with visits to Yonkers Raceway. He has owned horses – off and on, he noted – for about 30 years. Now a resident of Traverse City, Mich., he was in on the formation of what he described as a “boutique partnership” less than two years ago. Kares was at the sale when Tough Catch was purchased.
“He just looked extremely athletic and talented,” Kares said. “Really looked the part. Acted well. Mature. We didn't really feel like we had to do too much work to him. We bought him, got this opportunity and things just fell into place. No injuries. Feeling real sound. We got Saez and he did a fantastic job. He got a little tired at the end, but that's to be expected first time out.”
Kares said his group is involved in other 2-year-olds and said it is looking forward to a start by Eighty West (Speightstown) who was second in his debut at Churchill Downs on June 23.
Tough Catch's quick start did not surprise Kares and the rest of the ownership group.
“We expected that,” he said. “We didn't know if it would hold up, but we definitely expected the speed, which we got. The rest was history.”
#1 Tough Catch looked good on debut in the seventh at Saratoga! 💪@luissaezpty piloted the 2YO colt for trainer @DallasStewart3. pic.twitter.com/3o6fHRs8X0
— TwinSpires Racing 🏇 (@TwinSpires) July 13, 2024
7th-Saratoga, $100,000, Msw, 7-13, 2yo, 5 1/2f, 1:04.63, ft, 3/4 length.
TOUGH CATCH (c, 2, Complexity–Try to Catch Her, by Broken Vow) broke like a seasoned veteran from the inside stall on his career debut and showed his rivals a clean set of heels throughout to become a 12th first-crop winner for his Airdrie-based stallion (by Maclean's Music). A check of the May 2 foal's worktab shows a couple of very strong works from the gate, including a half in :46 4/5 (2/27) at Churchill Downs July 2 prior to shipping to the Spa, and he went well under-tack at OBS this April, covering a furlong in :10 flat. Sent off at 13-2, the grey colt shot to the lead in the opening exchanges and covered his first quarter-mile in :21.75. Maintaining a safe margin around the turn, Tough Catch was by the half in :45 flat and was never in danger as Innovator (Authentic), a $900,000 KEESEP grad, ran an improved race second time out to complete the exacta. A half-brother to Unique Factor (The Factor), SP, $219,173, Tough Catch is out of a daughter of Pin Oak Stud's GI Selene Stakes winner See How She Runs (Maria's Mon), also the dam of MGSW Don't Leave Me (Lemon Drop Kid). Canadian champion turf horse Hasten To Add (Cozzene) appears under the third dam. Try to Catch Her produced a filly by Cyberknife this past Feb. 8. Sales history: $110,000 Ylg '23 KEESEP; $280,000 2yo '24 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $55,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
O-On Our Own Stable LLC, S O K Racing, Gervais Racing, Zak Stables & Dallas Stewart; B-Martin J Keogh, Justin Wojczynski & Gemma Wojczynski (KY); T-Dallas Stewart.
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