Super C Racing Inc.’s Catahoula Moon continued his ascendant form and found himself in the winner’s circle at Laurel Park on Oct. 14, following a four and three-quarter-length victory in the $100,000 Fasig-Tipton Maryland Million Nursery.

The Jerry Robb-trained Golden Lad colt had won once in four starts entering the Nursery. He broke his maiden at third asking at Timonium on Sept. 4, then finished second behind odds-on favorite Boy Magic in a first-level allowance next out at Pimlico on Sept. 24. He went off as the 4-1 second choice in the 12-horse Nursery field, with Parx shipper Kohler’s going off as the 5-2 favorite.

Xavier Perez elected to rate Catahoula Moon off a contested pace in the early stages. Blame the Tux went to the front and set a first quarter-mile fraction of :22.41, with a host of pursuers in close attention. As they rounded the turn, the leaders were stacked five across the track, while Catahoula Moon continued to sit off the pace behind the wall of horses. At the three-sixteenths pole, an opening formed in the wall, and Catahoula Moon moved through it to strike the front. He easily drew off from the embattled leaders and crossed the wire as much the best. It was a Golden Lad exacta as Prado Road, who raced wide on the pace, managed to hold second. Kohler’s (Bandbox) closed for third. The 2-year-olds ran six furlongs in 1:12.24 on the track rated good after the day’s continuing rain.

The Nursery was the 11th career Maryland Million victory for Robb, moving him into second place on the all-time list. Only Dale Capuano, with 15, has more. 

Catahoula Moon was bred by Angela Coombs out of the Sondra and Howard Bender-bred mare Access to the Moon (by Malibu Moon). Coombs sold out her horse holdings at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic December mixed sale, getting $19,000 for her Golden Lad weanling (Access to the Moon, in foal to Uncle Lino, sold for $9,000). At last year’s Midlantic fall yearling sale, Coombs’ husband Mike Coombs, who operates Super C Racing, bought the colt back for $20,000. Super C Racing also bred and races the Nursery fourth-place finisher Dance for Green.

The Nursery marks the fifth Maryland Million win for Northview Stallion Station’s Golden Lad. He was previously represented by three-time winner Hello Beautiful, who captured the Lassie in 2019 and Distaff in 2020 and 2021, and 2021 Sprint winner Air Token.