BIG WIN IN U.S.

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30234, 12 September 1963, Page 4

BIG WIN IN U.S.

Catania Finds Form “The Press" Special Service WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. Catania is the latest New Zealand thoroughbred to win an important race in the United States. A fortnight ago she was successful in the inaugural running of the Twilight Tear Handicap, named after Calumet Farm’s brilliant race mare, which was horse of the year in 1944. The distance was eight furlongs and a half, and the gross stake 28,425 dollars, of which Catania's owner received 17,175 dollars (approximately £8082). She ran the distance in Imin 43 3-ssec. beating the favourite easily by a length and a quarter. She was ridden by W. Hartack. Her stablemate, Jan Beebe, was put in the race to make the pace for Catania and was the contributing factor in pressing the favourite Table Mate into defeat. Catania, a five-year-old grey mare by Pride of Kildare from Chubin. was raced in New Zealand by her breeder, Mr L. S. Otway, and as a three-year-old her wins included the Great Northern Oaks and the Auckland Royal Stakes.

She was sold to Mr Robert Kleberg, King Ranch, Texas, but when she arrived in the United States with Jan Beebe both were suspected of carrying piro-plasmosis, or tick fever, and were quarantined for 80 days till the fears of the Agriculture Department inspectors were proved groundless. Neither Catania nor Jan Beebe showed much form on the dirt tracks in California, but both have raced well on grass track in the Chicago area, where the Twilight Tear Handicap was run at Arlington Park.

Catania was having her tenth start in America and her win was given good play by the American press, which referred favourably to the increasing successes of New Zealand importations. Catania descends from one of the colonial families, recognition of which by the American Stud Book has been the reason for a New Zealand delegation visiting New York this year.