With a dazzling stretch run, Redgrass Cat passed nearly the entire field en route to a neck victory in the $50,000 Wilhite Memorial S. Saturday at Louisiana Downs.
The 2-year-old daughter of Bluegrass Cat is one of six stakes winners this year by her sire, who currently tops the New York General Sire list with $3.4 million in progeny earnings.
Redgrass Cat drew the outside post in the field of 11 for the 7 1/2-furlong Wilhite, basically forcing her jockey Lindey Wade to settle near the back of the pack for the short run into the first turn. Redgrass Cat went along unhurriedly down the backstretch and through the turn.
Wade gave the bay filly her cue approaching the stretch and she took off with a rush, splitting horses on a couple of occasions to take over for good just inside the sixteenth pole. The final time was 1:30.68 on the firm turf.
Owned by Paul Rigali, Jr., who bred her in partnership with Sheltowee Farm, Redgrass Cat is out of the Red Ransom mare Amanzi, whose siblings include the stakes winners Budge Man and Classic Neel.
