Crystal Visions and jockey Eswan Flores winning Race 5 on July 13, 2024, at Woodbine (Michael Burns Photo)
Chris Lomon, Woodbine
TORONTO, Ont. – Crystal Visions, an impressive debut winner, steps into the stakes arena in the $150,000 Catch a Glimpse, Saturday at Woodbine.
Trained by Stuart Simon, who co-owns with Brent McLellan, the daughter of Bee Jersey-You Make Luvin Fun will take on a dozen 2-year-old fillies over 6 ½ furlongs on the E.P. Taylor turf.
Crystal Visions, under Eswan Flores, rallied to secure a 1 ¾-length victory at 5 ½ furlongs over the Woodbine all-weather track on July 13.
The dark bay filly tracked the lead pair from along the rail and pounced at the quarter pole, en route to the impressive victory in 1:05.23.
“She ran very well,” said Simon, of the $45,000 purchase at the 2024 OBS March Sale of Two-Year-Olds in Training. “She broke well, settled, rated, and then came up between horses, and did everything so professionally.
“Running like that from off the pace, compared to a 2-year-old that makes the lead and just runs on from there – she learned a lot and took to it right away.”
Crystal Visions has had a steady work tab since her only start, which included a five-furlong breeze in 1:01.00 over the Woodbine all-weather track on August 9.
“She is just a nice, professional filly, and she has done everything right so far. Hopefully, she moves forward off that first race. She is doing very well.”
As for the filly’s name, McLellan was inspired by a lyric from Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 classic hit “Dreams” on the Rumours album.
Crystal Vision’s dam, You Make Luvin Fun, also has Fleetwood Mac ties to it. The 1977 hit “You Make Loving Fun” was also on the group’s Rumours album.
“Brent came up with the name and we mutually agreed on it,” said Simon. “She has to be like Fleetwood Mac now and keep coming up with hit after hit.”
Bred in Ontrio by Charles Fipke, Crystal Visions was foaled on April 22, 2022.
Also slated to run in the Catch a Glimpse is Bound to Be True, a daughter of Cairo Prince.
Trained by Nathan Squires, the grey filly won her debut on June 8 before a sixth next time out in the My Dear Stakes on July 13.
“Her last race, I was very disappointed,” said Squires. “But she had excuses. She was hyper and full of energy. In the paddock, she wasn’t as settled as she was in her first race. Behind the gate, David [jockey, Moran] said she just wouldn’t settle.
“In the race, she had no luck at all. She almost clipped heels and fell. All those factors went against her that day, but she came out of it in good order.”
Squires, who won the 2022 Catch a Glimpse with Cairo Consort, is expecting a strong effort from Bound to Be True on Saturday.
“Bound to Be True, she can be a bit lazy in the morning and not show you much. But she has looked good in her recent works, and she looks good herself. Our crew has done a lot of work with her. We went back to the drawing board, and she seems to have settled down. Hopefully, she brings that demeanor with her on Saturday. I believe she will run a good race.”
Bred in Kentucky by Hartwell Farm, Bound to Be True is owned by Susan W. Lyons.
The Catch a Glimpse was run for the first time in 2018, with My Gal Betty winning the inaugural edition.
Field for the Catch a Glimpse Stakes (Race 10)
