Derby Updates

By: John Asher

SOUTHEAST/BLUEGRASS CAT SHARP IN RETURN IN SAM F. DAVIS - WinStar Farm's Bluegrass Cat showed no signs of rust on Saturday as he scored a sharp 1 ¼-length victory over 63-1 longshot Deputy Glitters in his 3-year-old debut the $125,000 Sam F. Davis Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs.

Bluegrass Cat had not run since a November victory in the Remsen at Aqueduct, but was still the odds-on choice for trainer Todd Pletcher in the field of ten. His time for the 1 1/16-mile distance was a stakes record 1:44.17 and the colt missed the track record by less than a second. Pletcher was pleased with the move and said the colt would return to the Florida track.

"He was a fresh horse and ran exactly the way we wanted him to," he said. "Our intention is to return for the Tampa Bay Derby." The $250,000 Tampa Bay Derby (GIII) is set for March 18.

The homebred son of Storm Cat broke cleanly and stalked early pacesetter Laptop Computer through six furlongs, then engaged the eventual runner-up at the head of the stretch. Bluegrass Cat raced in tight quarters with Deputy Glitters down the lane and drew away late for the final margin. R Loyal Man, a two-time stakes winner at Tampa, was 4 ¼-lengths back in third, a neck in front of the Nick Zito-trained Little Cliff. Zito's well-regarded Hesanoldsalt never threatened and finished sixth. Electrify and Right Flanker were scratched.

Bluegrass Cat is now working on a four-race winning streak - with three of those wins in stakes races - following an eighth-place finish in his debut. He won Belmont Park's Nashua prior to his wins in the Remsen and the Sam F. Davis. Saturday's win raised his career earnings to $273,780.

Like Now Takes "Cappy" at Aqueduct - John Dillon's homebred Like Now wired the field in Saturday's $65,0000-added Fred Capposela's Stakes at Aqueduct, winning the six-furlong event by 2 ¾-lengths. The gelded son of Jules was the second choice in the field of five and covered the distance in 1:11.80 as he notched his first stakes win for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin.

High Cotton Returns Wednesday - While Bluegrass Cat sits atop the list of trainer Todd Pletcher's 38 Kentucky Derby and Triple Crown nominees, Peachtree Stable's High Cotton is a highly accomplished member of the that group and he launches his 3-year-old campaign on Wednesday in the one-mile allowance feature at Gulfstream Park.

The runner-up in both the Iroquois (GIII) and Kentucky Jockey Club (GII) during the Churchill Downs Fall Meet, the son of Dixie Union has turned in a string of steady five-furlong works and the 9-5 morning line favorite will likely face a full field of eleven rivals. Others looking to take a major step onto the Kentucky Derby trail in the race include Mike McCarty's Storm Treasure, a 7 ¼-length maiden winner last fall at Churchill Downs for trainer Steve Asmussen, and John Oxley's Strong Contender, who makes his first start since an August maiden win at Arlington Park at first asking.

Storm Treasure is a stablemate of Private Vow, the McCarty-owned and Asmussen-trained winner of the Kentucky Jockey Club.

MIDWEST/WINTRY WEATHER POSTPONES SOUTHWEST - Snowstorms and freezing temperatures forced Oaklawn Park to cancel its lucrative Presidents' Day weekend of racing, a decision that resulted in the postponement of the $250,000 Southwest Stakes, a significant Arkansas Derby (GII) and Kentucky Derby prep scheduled for Monday.

The original field for the Southwest included James Hines, Jr.'s Risen Star (GIII) winner Lawyer Ron, recent allowance Steppenwolfer, and stakes veterans Mark of Success, Hyte Regency, Travelin Leroy and Kingsfield. The race will be re-drawn on Thursday.

Also on Saturday's Oaklawn program is the $50,000-added Mountain Valley Stakes, a six-furlong race won last year by eventual 3-year-old champion and dual classic winner Afleet Alex. Tim Ritchey, who trained Afleet Alex, is expected to run Urban Guy in that race.

WEST/FRISCO STAR SCORES FIRST STAKES WIN - Owner Harry Aleo and trainer Greg Gilchrist, the team that brought us last year's enormously popular sprint champion Lost in the Fog, could again find themselves with a decision on whether they should stretch a fast and unbeaten 3-year-old out to longer distances with an eye toward a bid for the Kentucky Derby.

Aleo's Frisco Star won Sunday's $40,000 Novato Stakes at Golden Gate Fields by 1 ¼-lengths over Barber to improve his record to three wins in as many races.

While Lost in the Fog was not an early nominee to the Triple Crown, Frisco Star is eligible for the three-race series. Russell Baze, jockey for both Lost in the Fog and Frisco Star, thought after Sunday's win that the son of More than Ready could appreciate added distance.

"I think this horse will only get better with more distance," said Baze. "This is going to be a fun year, with the big horse (Lost in the Fog) coming back and this horse."

Aleo said he paid the $600 to nominate Frisco Star to the Triple Crown - just in case.

"Insurance, really," Aleo told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I had to put up $90,000 to run Lost in the Fog in the Breeders' Cup Sprint (because he was not Breeders' Cup eligible), so I did this just in case. It's a one-in-a-million shot, but you never know what will happen to other horses. Greg didn't even know I did it."

Point Determined Wins For Lewises, Baffert At Golden Gate - Friends and family of Robert Lewis had an ever-so-brief reason to smile on the day of the two-time Kentucky Derby-winning owner's death when his well- regarded Point Determined won an allowance race on Friday at Golden Gate Fields.

The Maryland-bred son of 2001 "Horse of the Year" Point Given - owned by Lewis in partnership with his wife, Beverly - collected his second victory in four career starts with a one-length score in that one-mile event. Bob Baffert trains Point Determined.

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