Derby News

Photo By: Adam Coglianese

Bluegrass Cat, shown winning Aqueduct's Remsen last November, makes his first start since that race in the Sam F. Davis at Tampa Bay Downs

Bluegrass Cat, who won three consecutive races to close out his two-year-old campaign, makes his 2006 debut in Saturday's $125,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs. The Todd Pletcher trainee headlines a full field of twelve for the 1 1/16 mile event, which goes as the tenth race on the card.

Bluegrass Cat, who will be ridden by stable go-to rider John Velazquez, had a solid if not spectacular four-race campaign last year. After losing his debut under the care of Elliott Walden, he came into Pletcher's barn after Walden retired. Pletcher has yet to lose with the son of Storm Cat, winning a maiden race, the grade three Nashua, and topping it off with a determined run to take the nine furlong Remsen (GII). He shipped to Pletcher's winter base at Palm Meadows training center after that race and has been working very well since arriving there. A few factors brought Bluegrass Cat to Tampa instead of racing at Gulfstream for his 2006 debut, most notably the distance of this race was more appealing. With the reconfiguration of the Gulfstream surface last year, there are no longer 1 1/16 mile races run there. The end result is that Tampa has been rewarded with top Gulfstream trainers shipping northward.

Besides Bluegrass Cat, the Sam F. Davis has attracted several shippers from south Florida, highlighted by Hesanoldsalt, Laptop Computer and Little Cliff. Hesanoldsalt, trained by Nick Zito, makes his stakes debut in the Sam F. Davis, but comes in off a nice allowance win at Gulfstream, where he finished with a good closing kick to get the best of Sunriver, a full brother to champion filly Ashado. Laptop Computer will be making his two-turn debut for trainer Rick Violette, who said the distance of the race is the biggest reason to come to Tampa. He comes in off a second place effort behind the highly regarded Barbican in a one-mile, one-turn allowance race at Gulfstream. Little Cliff also hails from the Zito barn. He ran very well in Kentucky last fall, but flopped in the Aventura, January 7 at Gulfstream.

Among the rest, the 3-for-4 Seaside Retreat has been working lights out in the mornings over the local oval, but will surely get a class test here. Pegasusbystorm has a listed stakes win to his credit, but looks to need to be near or on the lead early to give himself a chance. R Loyal Man won the local prep for this race, but faltered badly in his only race around two turns. Electrify, who is not nominated to the Triple Crown, has run some solid speed figures, but is another who figures to get tested for class.

The Sam F. Davis field in post-position order, with jockey and trainer
1. Seaside Retreat, T. D. Houghton, Mark Casse
2. Blazing Rate, Cecilio Penalba, Richard Root
3. Pegasusbystorm, Cornelio Velasquez, Michael Matz
4. R Loyal Man, Manoel Cruz, Timothy Ritvo
5. Hesanoldsalt, Rafael Bejarano, Nick Zito
6. Bluegrass Cat, John Velazquez, Todd Pletcher
7. Sweet Grass Creek, Oliver Castillo, Joan Scott
8. Laptop Computer, Ramon Dominguez, Richard Violette Jr
9. Deputy Glitters, Jose Lezcano, Tom Albertrani;
10. Electrify, Jesus Castanon, Edward Plesa Jr
11. Little Cliff, Jeremy Rose, Nick Zito
12. Right Flanker, Jordan Charkoudian, Gerald Bennett

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