Look for Cathryn Sophia to shine on Belmont undercard

THE AFLEET Alex entourage had swelled to a small city by the 2005 Belmont Stakes. A large tent was rented that Saturday at Belmont Park to congregate, entertain and simply revel in the moment.

There will be a Cathryn Sophia tent right by the Belmont Park paddock this Saturday. The Kentucky Oaks winner is running in the Acorn Stakes on the Belmont undercard and owner Chuck Zacney is bringing 120 people with him.

"I had a chance to see her work out last Wednesday," Zacney said. "The jockey never moved his hands. It was pretty impressive."

In fact, it was 5 furlongs in 58 2/5 seconds at Monmouth Park. Trainer John Servis said it was nearly as impressive as her last work before the Kentucy Oaks, a work he termed the second-best by any of his horses, trumped only by Smarty Jones before he won the 2004 Kentucky Derby.

Cathryn Sophia ran right to that work on May 6 when the 3-year-old filly overwhelmed the Oaks field of 14 with a 2 3/4-length win. Go Maggie Go, who finished fourth that day, came back two weeks later to win the Black Eyed Susan Stakes at Pimlico, making Cathryn Sophia's win look even better and it looked plenty good that day.

The filly cost $30,000 and is closing on $1 million in earnings. She made her debut last October at Parx and won by 12 3/4 lengths. She won her next start by 16 1/4 lengths at Laurel Park before winning two stakes at Gulfstream Park this winter, by 5 1/2 lengths and then 7 lengths.

Her only loss came in the April 9 Ashland Stakes at Keeneland when she was third, beaten by a half-length. She had three strikes against her that day. She was a speed horse on a closer's track, Servis admittedly had her only 80 percent ready and jockey Javier Castellano made a premature move on the far turn.

The filly was 100 percent by the time she got to Churchill Downs, the track was no issue and Castellano rode her perfectly. Cathryn Sophia was a gift 9-2 that day. She won't be anything like 9-2 Saturday. Her main rival likely will be Carina Mia whose trainer Bill Mott wanted to run her in the Oaks, but she was excluded from the oversubscribed field. Carina Mia ran brilliantly in the Eight Belles earlier on the Oaks card, winning by 6 lengths and running 7 furlongs in 1:21.74.

Cathryn Sophia is not only winning major races; she is taking Zacney on road trips beyond just racetracks. The Maryland-bred filly got Zacney a trip to the World Trade Center in Baltimore's Inner Harbor Monday, where he spoke about her and Afleet Alex at "First Mondays'' hosted by Maryland's Secretary of Commerce. Under Armour's Kevin Plank, a big horse owner, was also there.

"It was a great morning," Zacney said.

Cathryn Sophia will leave Monmouth Park on the North Jersey shore for Belmont Park on Friday. If she wins the Acorn, it would be her fourth graded stakes victory of the year. The Oaks glow still has not worn off. And when you combine that with Smarty's Derby win, it puts Servis in elite company.

"I knew going in how important it would be if we got it done," the trainer said. "When I started reading that only 21 trainers have done it, only seven active, it was pretty exciting."

And Servis is the only one to do it with just one starter in each race. His career numbers and major stakes wins are starting to resemble a résumé that could get him Hall of Fame consideration. He has thought about it.

The three Clenbuterol positives at Parx that Servis is presently dealing with, however, are cause for immediate and long-term concern.

"This Clenbuterol thing really bothers me," Servis said. "That kind of thing certainly doesn't help. I wanted it out there because something ain't right."

Time, hopefully, will determine exactly what was up with the positives for a drug that is legal to use in training, but can't be in a horse's system on race day. Meanwhile, Servis said he has gotten all the Clenbuterol out of his barn.

Zacney is standing behind his trainer.

"I've got to believe him," Zacney said. "With my horses, we never had a problem in Florida, at Keeneland or at Churchill Downs. The few horses I do have at Parx have not had a problem . . . I hope they figure this out quickly. Certainly don't want to sully John's name. He's an outstanding guy, an outstanding trainer."

And Servis has an outstanding filly in his barn, the most accomplished horse he's trained since Smarty Jones. The Belmont Stakes will be the big show Saturday, but, if you hear screaming coming from the Cathryn Sophia tent during the Acorn, it will be no surprise.

@DickJerardi