DRF, Dan Illman
Green Up (Upstart) notched her fourth consecutive victory Tuesday by upending heavily favored Insterstatedaydream in the $150,000 Cathryn Sophia Stakes at Parx Racing.
The Cathryn Sophia, a mile and 70-yard race for 3-year-old fillies, is the local prep for the Grade 1, $1 million Cotillion on Sept. 24. It was one of three stakes on the program along with the Grade 3, $300,000 Smarty Jones for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles and the $200,000 Parx Dash for 3-year-olds and up at five furlongs.
Interstatedaydream broke best under Florent Geroux and controlled fractions of 22.95 and 46.53 seconds while pursued by Shotgun Hottie. Green Up, after breaking from the inside post position, saved ground for the first three furlongs, then was expertly eased off the rail for a clear run by jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.
Green Up confronted Interstatedaydream after six furlongs in 1:10.68 and readily went past the odds-on choice turning into the stretch. Green Up faced no threat thereafter and strutted under the line 3 3/4 lengths better than Interstatedaydream. It was another 6 1/4 lengths back to Morning Matcha in third.
Completing the order of finish were Shotgun Hottie and Emerald. Silverleaf, Butterbean, and Ha’ Penny were early scratches. Bazinga C was withdrawn minutes before the race on advice from the track veterinarian.
Green Up returned $7.80 as the second favorite in the wagering. She completed the distance in 1:39.77. A daughter of Upstart bred in Virginia by Althea Richards, Green Up is trained by Todd Pletcher for Team Valor International, who privately purchased and syndicated the filly after a runner-up try in her career debut at Churchill Downs in May 2021.
Reportedly bothered by minor suspensory issues, Green Up was patiently brought along by Pletcher. She won her maiden at Gulfstream Park by 6 3/4 lengths on March 13, rolled away from a first-level allowance field there on April 22, then won her first stakes in Monmouth’s Boiling Springs on July 3.
“This filly’s always trained really well,” Pletcher told Daily Racing Form late last week. “She gave us the impression, even before she broke her maiden, that she was a graded stakes caliber filly.”
Green Up is out of Green Punch, a half-sister to Grade 3-winning dirt router Just Call Kenny from the family of multiple Grade 3-winning turf router Finery. Green Punch was purchased by Team Valor in March and bred back to Upstart.
