Castleton Lyons' grade 1-winning freshman sire Justin Phillip had his first winner June 2 when What a Catch took a $62,000 maiden special weight at Belmont Park by 5 1/2 lengths.
The chestnut colt out of the black-type stakes winner Catch My Fancy (by Yes It's True) was bred in New York by Castleton Lyons with Kilboy Estate and is raced by Gary Barber. Todd Pletcher trains the 2-year-old colt, who had jockey John Velazquez in the irons for his debut.
What a Catch lost his back footing at the start, which put him in a stalking position for the first three-sixteenths of a mile. He caught the pacesetters Barbarossa and Freudian Flip after the opening quarter went in :22.37. The winner clocked a half-mile in :46.64, and completed the five furlongs in :59.79.
Castleton Lyons acquired Catch My Fancy for $195,000 at the 2007 Fasig-Tipton February mixed sale out of the Bluewater Sales consignment. The mare has now produced five winners from five foals to race.
Justin Phillip is one of five graded stakes winners produced by blue hen Ava Knowsthecode. The 9-year-old son of First Samurai won the 2013 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1), 2011 Woody Stephens Stakes (G2), and the 2013 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) and placed in nine other graded stakes. He retired with $1,293,437 in earnings and now stands for $5,000.
