Bad Cat Looking Good

Well let's add another set of silks to that row up top. El Gato Malo has Derby designs -- and they well could be earnest ones. The gelded (key word, that) son of El Corredor has run three times in his young life and has come home a winner on each occasion. And the photo-finish cameraman could have gone out for a beverage during each contest and never been missed. He's won by more than five, more than four and -- in his latest and greatest last Saturday at Santa Anita -- by more than six in the graded San Rafael Stakes. As they say, you can't ask him to do any more; not at this stage anyway.

True enough, he got a wonderful set up in the eight-panel feature, with three rivals blistering each other through splits of :22 1/5, :44 1/5 and 1:07 4/5 on a synthetic surface that has been playing like the Indy Speedway since it opened back up for racing this past week. The Kentucky-bred's final time (1:33.37) established a track record, but we'll let the "figs" guys play with that one and note instead that the dark-hued stretch runner did it with an elan that was stylish.

It appears he quite likes what he's doing, which is something that often leads to better-things-yet in a young athlete. That three-for-three is easy to like, natch. But there are other things, too, that give you that good vibe for this blooming star. They include: He was handled by Patrick Valenzuela when he scampered home in his debut in a straight maiden race at Hollywood Park back in November. Patrick, an exceptional rider and a fine judge of horseflesh, jumped off that day and told his connections that whatever they did with him, he wanted in. So when El Gato Malo headed up to the Bay Area the following month to run in a little stakes at Golden Gate, the rider offed his Southern California work for the day and made the trip. It was, we know, the right choice.

Unfortunately, P Val couldn't stay on for this latest journey -- his devils have taken him down again -- but fortunately for all involved with the horse they engaged the services of "The Stealth Rider," David Flores. The Tijuana native, who gets the call here for the best rider in the country that too few people know about, fit the horse Saturday like slick does on a baby seal. And, with Flores riding right now in possibly the best form of his highly-successful-but-under-the-radar career, he may well be a perfect match for his upcoming big-money runs.

In addition, the horse is trained by Craig Dollase, the already-successful son of the highly-successful Wallace Dollase. The younger Dollase grew up in the game and is reaching a point in his career where he may be comfortably ready to make a major statement with a major horse. You may remember his early successes with good horses like Reraise and Swept Overboard, or his handy work last year with Awesome Gem. You may remember him even more if his latest charge turns out to be the really "Bad Cat" he's giving signs of being. Also, El Gato Malo is owned by the West Point Thoroughbred folks, Terry Finley's organized and well-back partnership group that is making splashes from coast to coast with good horses.

The best thing a partnership group can do to ensure its well being is to have success on a high level, and when we're talking winning the Kentucky Derby we're talking climbing Everest in this game. If there's any way these guys can go for it, they're going to -- count on it. So it wasn't much of a surprise when their West Coast V-P, Jeff Bloom (the former rider and racetrack PR guy who plays a mean second-base on the Del Mar Press Box softball team), made a no-doubt-about-it statement following the San Rafael: "The first Saturday in May is looking pretty promising."

Finally, there is that gelding business we noted earlier. It may make the breeding boys cringe, but it could make racing fans rejoice one day: Should El Gato Malo go on to be a serious Derby horse and a possible star even beyond that, we're going to get to see him run again and again over the years. And wouldn't that make for a nice story, one that might play out many times over. So, sure, it's early yet and we're only now starting to get into stride on the Derby trail. But for now you've got to give some consideration to that late-kicking West Coast cat. Yes you do, and it just might be that he truly is one bad kitty.