When the horses for the first race entered the paddock, a handful of schooling horses joined them. Chief among the schoolers was Catch a Glimpse, the newly-crowned Canadian Horse of the Year for 2015. The exciting City Zip filly is riding a four-race winning streak, including the 2015 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies.

Catch a Glimpse strutted and bounced like a boxer about to enter the ring, and her fellow schoolers looked like tame plow horses in her wake.

There’s a good chance Catch a Glimpse’s foes in the upcoming Appalachian Stakes (Gr. III) will be rendered much the same.

Catch a Glimpse schools in the Keeneland paddock.

Catch a Glimpse schools in the Keeneland paddock.

What was that about fresh promises around every corner? Including Catch a Glimpse, this year’s crop of 3-year-old fillies is pretty dazzling.

The 1–1/16 mile Central Bank Ashland Stakes (Gr. I) was short on entries but long on talent, as it shaped up to be a showdown between the undefeated Cathryn Sophia, the speedy Carina Mia, and Rachel’s Valentina.

Around the far turn it was precisely that, and collective breaths were held in anticipation of the battle in the homestretch. Cathryn Sophia took the lead from Carina Mia at the top of the stretch but Rachel’s Valentina has her mother’s heart. She was asked by jockey Florent Geroux for all she had and, inch by inch and stride by stride, she pulled away from Cathryn Sophia. Then Weep No More, riding a speedy pace advantage, flew down on the outside to take the Ashland by a neck over Rachel’s Valentina, with Cathryn Sophia third.

Three hours later and 2,100 miles west, Songbird paid the slop no mind and humiliated yet another field of fillies. Her record is now 7 for 7, and with Cathryn Sophia’s defeat in the Ashland, Songbird moves ever further ahead in class.