Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino
Saturday, January 11, 2020
by Eric Alwan
Cat Daddys Lil Girl wins $100,000 Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap
Exuding all her class in picking up her second straight stakes win, Jimmy Negrete and Jimmy Vazquez’ Cat Daddys Lil Girl proved much the best, winning Saturday’s 20th running of the Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap at Sunland Park and Casino.
Ridden to perfection by Mauro Salcedo, Cat Daddys Lil Girl broke smarty from the gate, easily assumed the lead shortly after the start and was never headed, winning by a three-quarters of a length for trainer Cynthia Gonzalez and racing the 400 yards in a final time of 19.56 seconds, earning an Equibase Speed Index figure of 87.
The 4-year-old daughter of Big Daddy Cartel was sent off as the 2.80-to-1 post time favorite and returned $7.60 to her winning backers.
Cat Daddys Lil Girl has won six times from 13 career starts. Saturday’s triumph comes off the heels of her dazzling win last month at Zia Park winning the New Mexico Quarter Horse Filly and Mare Championship. Prior to the Zia Park score, she earned back-to-back runner-up efforts in the Pitre GMC Distaff Stakes as well as the New Mexico State Fair Quarter Horse Derby at the Downs at Albuquerque. She was also second in the Zia Quarter Horse Derby last summer at Ruidoso Downs.
The win in the Lou Wooten and Sydney Valentini Handicap adds $60,000 to Cat Daddys Lil Girl’s bankroll, which now exceeds $305,000.
Woodys Copy Cat, under jockey Manuel Gutierrez, finished well to just nab the second place spot. The $2 exacta returned $42.80.
Djs Winner finished third, with Sister Sophia rounding out the top four.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Sunland Park with a 12:25 p.m. first post and a 10-race program of both quarter horse and thoroughbred racing. Tuesday, a full 9-race program of thoroughbred racing wraps up another week of racing, again with a 12:25 pm first post.
Photo Credit: Coady Photography
