Tale of the Cat Filly Wins Demoiselle

Talented filly Stopchargingmaria (2f Tale of the Cat x Exotic Bloom, by Montbrook) claimed another major race win when doing best in a thrilling finish to take the Grade II Demoiselle Stakes at Aqueduct on Saturday. Prepared by Todd Pletcher, Stopchargingmaria earned TDN Rising Star status for her brilliant debut win back in July before placing at her next two starts in the Grade I Spinaway Stakes and Frizette Stakes. Since then she has won the Grade III Tempted Stakes and now this Grade II assignment over 1 and 1/18th mile beating her stablemate Got Lucky by a neck to end the season on a high note. "I was pleased with both of their races,” Pletcher said of his fillies that ran the quinella. “A[It was a] big effort by Got Lucky in her second start. The thing I thought [Stopchargingmaria] had going for her is a good foundation and the fact that she has a good mind. She's very ratable. She's kind. She's not the kind you have to worry about getting too headstrong, but it's a mile and an eighth, and it's a long way for 2-year-old fillies." A $220,000 purchase from the OBS March 2YO Sale, Stopchargingmaria runs for Repole Stable and is the first winner for stakes-winner Exotic Bloom, who comes from the family of Grade II winners Vision and Verse and Bourbon Bay. She has banked some $548,000 for her owners in winning three races and placing twice from just five starts.