Trainer Tim Tullock Jr. believes that Sensibly Chic has a few points in her favor that will help her extract revenge upon Cativa when they hook up at Aqueduct on Saturday afternoon in the 51st running of the $150,000-added Distaff Breeders' Cup (gr. II).Five weeks ago at Laurel Park in Maryland, Cativa and Sensibly Chic met in the Barbara Fritchie with Cativa winning the grade II event by 2 ΒΌ lengths over Sensibly Chic. Lois Nervitt's Sensibly Chic was favored over Cativa in the Barbara Fritchie, sent off at 2-1. Cativa will probably be bet stronger on Saturday and go off the favorite."There were a couple of things working against her in the Fritchie," Tullock said of the 5-year-old Distorted Humor mare. "I believe in the `bounce' theory and she was coming off the race of her life just three weeks earlier in the What A Summer. Also, she had the one-hole going seven furlongs, which is never the place you want to be. She still overcame that to run a good race in the Fritchie."For the Distaff Breeders' Cup, Sensibly Chic drew the outside post in the field of seven while Cativa will start from the rail.Tullock took over training of Sensibly Chic in the middle of last year. He did not see many positive results initially, but began to see a turnaround in November when she won the Stefanita at Pimlico."She wasn't quite ready the first couple of times she ran for us, but the owners were anxious to run in a graded stakes to get some black type," Tullock said. "We were just hoping she could hit the board in there because she ran against a couple short fields."
In 10 starts for Richard Dutrow Jr., Sanford J. Goldfarb's Cativa has won eight times with a close second and close third. Dutrow claimed her for $55,000 back in September 2003, and she has more than made back their initial investment and now is worth even more as a broodmare since she won the Fritchie."She came out of the Fritchie really well," Dutrow said. "She's been so good to us, so it was really nice to get her a grade II stakes win last time."
The field for Saturday's grade II, $150,000 Distaff Breeders' Cup
Post Position -- Horse, jockey, weight
1 -- Cativa, Edgar Prado, 119
2 -- Travelator, Gary Gullo, Mike Luzzi, 116
3 -- Bank Audit, Richard Migliore, 118
4 -- Silmaril, Stewart Elliott, 115
5 -- Lovethatlegend, Fernando Jara, 114
6 -- Miss Park Place, Alan Garcia, 112
7 -- Sensibly Chic, Tim Tullock Jr., Ramon Dominguez, 117
