OCEANPORT, N.J. -- Bluegrass Cat ran in only two of the
Triple Crown races, yet finishing second in both the Kentucky Derby
and the Belmont Stakes still took its toll.
The 3-year-old bay colt lost weight and was given a rest by
trainer Todd Pletcher, who takes great care with his entourage of
more than 150 thoroughbreds.
Rarely does the nation's top trainer run his horses back too
soon, and Bluegrass Cat is poised to become another example of
Pletcher's patience paying off.
Eight weeks after the Belmont, Bluegrass Cat makes his first
start in Sunday's $1 million Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park.
The colt was the 2-1 morning-line favorite in a field of nine
3-year-olds entered Thursday.
"He's done well, and Todd moved him to Saratoga last week and
gave him his final preparation there Monday," WinStar racing
manager Elliott Walden said. The colt worked five furlongs in 1:00,
and Pletcher said "all systems are go."
Walden said the son of Storm Cat "lightened up a little bit"
as he ran finished 6½ lengths behind Barbaro in the Derby, skipped
the Preakness and was 1\ lengths behind Jazil in the Belmont.
"The Triple Crown takes a toll on a horse," Walden said. "We
were able to give him some time, fill him back up, and hopefully
have a great latter part of the year."
Bluegrass Cat, with John Velazquez aboard, drew the outside No.
9 post and will face top-notch competition from 5-2 second choice
Strong Contender and 4-1 third-choice Deputy Glitters. Strong
Contender, with Edgar Prado riding leaves from the No. 3 post, and
Deputy Glitters, with Rene Douglas up, starts from the No. 7 post.
Also set for the 1 1-8-mile Grade 1 Haskell are Flashy Bull
(5-1), local favorite Praying for Cash (8-1), Awfully Smart and
Electrify (both 10-1), Little Cliff (20-1) and Victory Lake (30-1).
Deputy Glitters, who defeated Bluegrass Cat by two lengths in
the Tampa Bay Derby in March, enters the race off a victory in the
Ohio Derby. Before the win, Deputy Glitters finished eighth in the
Derby and 11th in the Belmont.
"He had a horrible trip in the Derby, 11 or 12 wide, and for
some unknown reason he just didn't finish up in the Belmont," said
trainer Tom Albertrani, who saddled Bernardini to victory in the
Preakness and last week's Jim Dandy at Saratoga. "He trained well
after that and came out firing in Ohio."
Strong Contender is likely to be factor in the Haskell.
The imposing-looking colt is coming off a 7}-length romp in the
Dwyer at Belmont on July 4. A late-blooming son of Maria's Mon, he
missed the Triple Crown races and looks to be rounding into form.
"This horse is coming up to his race as good as we can get him
there," Ward said. "He's going to have to show up - and we'll see
whether he's got the talent to compete in Grade 1 company or he's
just a notch below."
In other big races this weekend:
-- Pletcher's Flower Alley -- winner of last year's Jim Dandy and
Travers -- tops a nine-horse field for Saturday's $750,000 Whitney
Handicap at Saratoga. Also entered are Suburban winner Invasor and
Sun King and Wanderin Boy, both trained by Nick Zito.
-- In the $250,000 Darley Test for 3-year-old fillies, also at
Saratoga on Saturday, a field of 15 was entered, including Hello
Liberty and two from Allen Jerkens' barn, Any Limit and Swap
Fliparoo.
-- The $750,000 West Virginia Derby on Sunday drew a field of 12
3-year-olds, including trainer Bob Baffert's Wanna Runner. High
Finance, who won two in a row before finishing 10th in the Belmont,
also is in the field.
The 100-degree temperatures the past few days, which caused
Monmouth Park and Saratoga to cancel race programs Wednesday, are
expected to end this weekend. Early forecasts for the New York area
called for temperatures between 74 and 84 degrees with a 20 percent
chance of rain.