Cowtown Cat a Winner; Blue Fades
Pletcher Wins One; Tiago smothers King of the Roxy in Santa Anita
Giacomo's little half brother, Tiago, bursts on the scene to catch Pletcher's Roxy at Santa Anita. In the Illinois Derby, Cowtown Cat gives Pletcher another Derby hope.
Despite Todd Pletcher's best moves, he couldn't get a win for either King of the Roxy, or Sam P. (Santa Anita Derby), or Any Given Saturday (Wood Memorial), Saturday, while Circular Quay waits for the Kentucky Derby.
What he got was a slick win from Cowtown Cat, a Storm Cat colt out of Tom's Cat, by Distorted Humor. No matter where Cowtown Cat lands, he runs. Saturday, he looked like Pletcher's best Derby prospect.
Cowtown Car draws Off
Cowtown Cat ate up eight rivals in the $500,000, 1-1/8 mile Illinois Derby April 7 in 1:51.21. Fernando Jara took the colt smoothly through the race, and pointed him straight to the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby, scheduled for May 5.
Drawing well off late in the long Hawthorne track stretch, Cowtown Cat answered questions about his ability to control a lead. Cobalt Blue, owned by Merv Griffin, and the pre-race favorite, plugged along in fourth position and faded to seventh behind Cowtown Cat's storm trooper charge. Cobalt Blue never gave chase, clouding his Derby chances.
Sherriffs brings back Winners
Trainer John Sherriffs decided to reunite a winning combination. It paid off.
With the Kentucky Derby looming ahead, Sherriffs got jockey Mike Smith to ride Giacomo's little half brother, Tiago, in the April 7 Santa Anita Derby, a graded one stakes contest worth $750,000 in purses. Smith scored aboard Giacomo against huge odds in the 2005 Kentucky Derby.
Jerry and Ann Moss own Giacomo and Tiago, both of whom they bred. They asked Sherriffs to train both thoroughbreds.
Tiago has brother's Comeback Courage
Smith had perfect control in the race, and Tiago had the gas and the courage to respond to his jockey's last request - catch King of the Roxy in the stretch. The pair blitzed up to and past Roxy on the left side to steal the win from the Pletcher trained colt.
Three wide on the turn, Tiago came on like a freight train for the stretch. Smith squeezed his mount through the fading second place runners near the rail, appearing to surprise Roxy and jockey Richard Migliori. It was a duel within a duel, as King of the Roxy had beaten back Liquidity, the earlier morning favorite, then lingered too long in the lead, letting Tiago take him over.
Minus his usual blinkers, Tiago geared from last place in the field of nine to the wire in a gallant run, burning Roxy by a half length as Migliori seemingly coasted toward the finish. Migliori didn't appear to look back to his left before his lead evaporated at Tiago's relentless charge.
Derby picture Clearing
Sam P., another Pletcher trained entry, was the race favorite entering the gate, as the betting fluctuated up to the last second. He finished third, 2-3/4 lengths back.
Last time out, Tiago ran off the board in the Robert B. Lewis Stakes March 3. He increased his earnings Saturday to $484,320 in the 1-1/8 miles clocked at 1:49.51.
Sherriffs said he was "just taking a shot" withTiago. And now the colt will go to Churchill Downs for the Derby. Tiago is a Pleasant Tap colt; Giacomo, a Holy Bull product. They are both out of Set Them Free, by Stop the Music.
King of the Roxy, with suspect stamina for the oncoming eighth of a mile longer Kentucky Derby, is scheduled for Louisville. Pletcher, though, may not be done juggling.
Bwana Bull, with Russell Baze up, was not a factor in the race. His Derby hopes may be over.
2005 Derby revisited by Smith
Smith said the ride was similar to his Derby victory aboard Giacomo, who beat out favorite Afleet Alex on the rail before striding to the front past Closing Argument. He thought the pace would come back to him, like it did in the Derby, when Giacomo made his big move. It did.
That's apparently just what Sherriffs had in mind.
