by Mike Curry

Queen Ofthe Catsle showed promise during the Del Mar meeting with two wins in three starts, including her first stakes victory, and on Saturday at the Oak Tree meeting at Santa Anita Park she continued that momentum, earning her first graded stakes win in the $111,600 Senator Ken Maddy Handicap (G3).

The Tale of the Cat filly powered past early pacesetter Bahama Mama (Ire) and reeled in runner-up La Tee to win by one length under Mike Smith.

Owner-breeder C. T Grether’s Queen Ofthe Catsle completed the 6 1/2-furlong race on the downhill turf course in 1:12.84.

“She ran three times at Del Mar and now she’s run a huge race against tough horses here, so we’ll probably freshen up a little bit, give her maybe six weeks between races,” winning trainer Howard Zucker said. “If there’s something at Hollywood [Park] in the fall, maybe we’ll run there. If not, I’m happy to wait for the main [Santa Anita] meet and wait for the [downhill turf course]. She obviously liked it pretty well.”

Queen Ofthe Catsle was reserved in seventh early by Mike Smith while saving ground and accelerated into contention crossing the main track and entering the stretch. Queen Ofthe Catsle closed gamely to seize command in the final sixteenth and spurted clear to secure the win.

“We broke in the four-path and I was able to slide over to the right and then slide to the left as we came down the hill. We were able to cut every corner and then it opened up for us there at the top of the lane,” Smith said. “Howie [Zucker] said, ‘Don’t make the lead too soon,’ which she did, but she was good enough to win anyway.”

Runner-up La Tee finished a half-length in front of third-place finisher Victorina, a Grade 3 winner in 2006.

Out of the Lord At War (Arg) mare Kiawah Queen, Queen Ofthe Catsle improved to five wins and five seconds in 12 career starts and boosted her earnings to $258,784.

For an Equibase chart, click here.

Mike Curry is a Thoroughbred Times TODAY editor