Lauri’s Wish is Catalina Red’s First Winner

The Louisiana-bred won Dec. 23 at Delta Downs by 8 1/4 lengths.

 

Elite Thoroughbreds’ graded stakes winner and freshman sire Catalina Red  sired his first winner when his son Lauri’s Wish  won a 7 1/2-furlong maiden special weight Dec. 23 at Delta Downs by 8 1/4 lengths.

A Louisiana homebred for Tony Lenci and Chad Stewart, Lauri’s Wish won his second career start gate to wire in 1:36.54. He was ridden by Thomas Pompell and is trained by Lee Thomas.

The colt is the first and only foal out of the Archarcharch daughter Laurigolightly, who is out of graded-placed stakes winner Tiger Belle (Tiger Ridge ). Stewart trained Laurigolightly for owner/breeder Robert Roffey Jr. The mare was bred to Catalina Red this year.

Lenci raced Catalina Red, whom he bought at the 2014 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring 2-Year-Olds in Training Sale for $71,000 from de Meric Sales. The son of Munnings   became a stakes winner at 2 in the Inaugural Stakes and Pasco Stakes, both at Tampa Bay Downs, won the Jackson Bend Stakes at Gulfstream Park at 3, and at 4 won the Churchill Downs Stakes (G2) and Hilton Garden Inn/Hampton Inn and Suites Sprint Stakes in addition to placing third in the Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (G1). He retired with a 5-1-3 record from 13 starts and earned $549,885. Stewart trained Catalina Red for his first nine starts.

Catalina Red stands at Elite Thoroughbreds near Folsom, La., for $2,000 in 2022.