Remsen S. (G2) winner BLUEGRASS CAT (Storm Cat) came out of his five-furlong
workout at Churchill Downs on Sunday in good order and is expected to make his
next start in Saturday’s $750,000 Blue Grass S. (G1) at Keeneland. The bay colt
was timed in 1:01 2/5 over a fast track.
“I thought he came out of the work excellent and I thought he worked real
well,” Pletcher said. “Not that this really applies to the Blue Grass, but I
think he really likes this track.”
Pletcher said he decided to send Bluegrass Cat to Churchill Downs rather than
to Keeneland because he felt the surface would be more consistent leading up to
the May 6 Kentucky Derby (G1).
“This track, I think, tends to hold up water better than the main track at
Keeneland, so I just felt like we’d get a little more consistent training
schedule over here,” he explained.
Pletcher said Bluegrass Cat would travel by van to Keeneland on Thursday to
school in the paddock at the Lexington track. He said that Bluegrass Cat would
stay at Keeneland through Saturday’s race.
Bluegrass Cat most recently finished second as the 2-5 favorite in the March
18 Tampa Bay Derby (G3). The colt has won four of six starts and earned
$323,780.
Meanwhile, Pletcher said that KEYED ENTRY (Honour and Glory), who finished
third in Saturday’s Wood Memorial (G1) at Aqueduct, would arrive at Churchill
Downs on April 17 — although the colt’s status for the Derby is unclear at this
point.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think he ran that bad a race,” Pletcher said.
“Maybe with some adjustments — slowing him down a little bit, a different
surface — who knows? I think he at least ran well enough, and has run well
enough every start in his life, that we should at least be here to see how he
trains over the racetrack and see how he’s doing, and not make a decision,
prematurely, one way or another.”
Pletcher said that MY GOLDEN SONG (Unbridled’s Song), who finished seventh in
Saturday’s Illinois Derby (G2), was officially off the Kentucky Derby trail. But
the conditioner said he hopes to run SUNRIVER (Saint Ballado), who finished
third in the April 1 Florida Derby (G1), in the “Run for the Roses.” His biggest
concern about Sunriver is whether the colt will have enough graded earnings to
make the Derby field.
“I thought he ran well enough in the Florida Derby, he’s an improving horse,
and I think he’ll appreciate this racetrack,” Pletcher said. “We’re obviously
watching the earnings status closely and, I would say, that sometime after the
15th of April, I’ve got to make a decision on whether we’re going to roll the
dice and train him up to the Derby or if I’m going to have a look at the
Lexington.”
The $325,000 Lexington S. (G2) at Keeneland is scheduled for April 22 — two
weeks before the Derby.
Another Pletcher-trained three-year-old, Rushaway S. winner HIGH COTTON
(Dixie Union), could re-enter the Kentucky Derby picture this weekend. The bay
colt traveled to Oaklawn Park on Monday to run in Saturday’s $1 million Arkansas
Derby (G2).