NEWS
Scorewithcater prevails in Borderland Derby
Posted: Saturday, February 28, 2009 8:26 PM
SCOREWITHCATER
Eugene O'Neill/Coady Photography
by Tim Nichols
Scorewithcater accelerated from the off the pace and wore down a game Mine That Bird in the stretch to win the $100,000 Borderland Derby on Saturday at Sunland Park.
Grade 3 winner Mine That Bird, the 2008 Canadian champion two-year-old male, led entering the stretch but Scorewithcater powered past the field to engage the leader in the final furlong. Both horses traded the lead approaching the finish before Scorewithcater found just enough reserve energy to repel Mine That Bird and win his stakes debut.
Mine That Bird took the lead from early pacesetter Hoya through a half-mile in :48.03 while jockey Michael Baze rated Scorewithcater in sixth.
Baze maneuvered Scorewithcater five-wide approaching the stretch and engaged Mine That Bird in the lane. Under strong encouragement, Scorewithcater pulled past Mine That Bird in the final strides to prevail by a neck.
Scorewithcater covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.96 on a track rated as fast.
Mine That Bird, who entered off a layoff of more than four months, finished 4¼ lengths in front of third-place finisher Smokin' Legend. Mine That Bird was making his first start since his 12th-place finish in the Bessemer Trust Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) on October 25 at the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita Park.
Trained by Doug O'Neill for Robert Master, Scorewithcater won an allowance/optional claiming race on January 29 at Santa Anita Park in his second start of the year and has won four of his last five starts.
Bred in Kentucky by Hall's Family Trust, the three-year-old Even the Score colt is out of Runaway Cater, by Runaway Groom. Scorewithcater improved to four wins in eight career starts and boosted his earnings to $131,720.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Tim Nichols is internet content editor of Thoroughbred Times
