Cowtown Cat - Kentucky Derby Contender
COWTOWN CAT
 |
Pedigree: Distorted Humor - Tom's Cat (Storm Cat)
Owner: Winstar Farm and Gulf Coast Farm
Trainer: Todd Pletcher
$19.95
DATE
|
RACE | RESULT |
| 07 Apr 07 | Illinois Derby | 1st |
| 10 Mar 07 | Gotham Stakes | 1st |
| 03 Feb 07 | Swale S. | 3rd |
| 14 Jan 07 | Alw | 1st |
| 3 Nov 06 | Nashua | 6th |
| 8 Sep 06 | MSW | 1st |
Cowtown
Cat's Race Record
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WinStar Farm and Gulf Coast Farm's Cowtown Cat had the benefit of the front end on the speed-favoring Hawthorne Race Course main track and the Todd Pletcher trainee took full advantage, drawing off in the final furlong for a 2 1/4-length triumph in the $500,000 Illinois Derby (gr. II) Saturday.
Pletcher and company can only hope the 3-year-old Distorted Humor colt can emulate the 2002 Illinois Derby winner, War Emblem, who rode a front-running victory at the Cicero oval to the 2002 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner's circle.
Ridden by Fernando Jara for the first time -- a week after the Panamanian teenager won the Dubai World Cup (UAE-I) aboard Invasor -- Cowtown Cat milked an easy pace -- :24 4/5, :49 2/5 and 1:13 2/5 -- and was breathing fire in the stretch as the runner-up Reporting to Duty vainly tried to mount a challenge for Chris Emigh. Reporting for Duty held second while Bold Start, ridden by Larry Melancon, ran evenly for third, three-quarters of a length behind the runner-up. The winning time was 1:51 1/5.
"He was very relaxed all the way," Jara said. "And
when I asked him to do anything, it was done."
Cowtown Cat is headed to the Kentucky Derby on May 5 at Churchill Downs,
with Jara confident the horse is capable of stretching out to the 1
1/4-mile distance.
"
I think it's going to be better for him," Jara said. "He was
still strong after the wire."
