Pat Madden homebred Pray for Champagne was the 12th winner for CATHOLIC BOY on Friday when the filly broke her maiden at Churchill Downs.
The Rusty Arnold trainee was part of a duo putting pressure on the leader from the start in the seven-furlong dirt race as she raced three wide down the backstretch. She made her bid in the turn and had the lead as she swung even wider into the stretch.
Her only task from there was to pull away and Pray for Champagne did that brilliantly, winning by 5 1/24 lengths by the time she reached the wire.
Pray for Champagne is a half-sister to Flatter’s Grade 2 winner and Grade 1-placed Pass The Champagne, BLAME’s Grade 3 winner Miss Kentucky, and Pulpit’s stakes placed Los Borrachos. They are part of a group of nine winners from nine named foals out of the stakes winning Champagne Taste.
Champagne Taste is out of Grade 2 winner Go Go and a half-sister to Grade 1-placed Miss Mittagong.
Among CATHOLIC BOY’s 12 winners is three stakes performers. Both numbers put him in the top 10 among freshman sires.