A front-running 6 3/4-length win by Cyndy McKee's Direct the Cat in the Sept. 22 Rachel's Turn Stakes for West Virginia-bred juvenile fillies at Hollywood Casino At Charles Town Races resulted in the first black-type stakes winner for stallion Redirect.
Direct the Cat, by Redirect out of stakes-winning West Virginia-bred Cat Thats Grey, was following up on an 11-length maiden win last month at Charles Town. That effort represented the first winner for Redirect.
Facing six others in the 4 1/2-furlong Rachel's Turn, Direct the Cat cleared the field from the outside post to open a quick lead, came under pressure approaching the quarter-pole, but then drew off under Reshawn Latchman to prove much the best. John McKee is the breeder of record, while wife Cyndy owns and trains.
As reported by BloodHorse bloodstock editor Eric Mitchell after the August maiden win: "Direct the Cat is homegrown top and bottom. The McKees bred the filly out of their homebred stakes winner Cat Thats Grey, a daughter of their multiple leading West Virginia stallion Fiber Sonde. As a broodmare, Cat Thats Grey has now produced three winners from three to race."
The unraced Redirect was bred by the late Josephine Abercrombie's Pin Oak Stud. He is by Speightstown out of the stakes-winning mare Alternate, making him a half to graded stakes winners Higher Power (a grade 1 winner), Alternation , and Interrupted.
Redirect stands for an advertised fee of $1,000 at the McKees' Beau Ridge Farm in West Virginia.
