Al and Sandee Kirkwood's Blackjackcat (Tale of the Cat) earned his third straight victory and the first graded tally of his career while holding off the late-charging Vyjack (Into Mischief) by a head to win Sunday's GII Del Mar Mile H. Sent off at 8-1, the dark bay gelding tracked pacesetting favorite Midnight Storm (Pioneerof the Nile) through fractions of :23.16 and :46.88. Blackjackcat collared the pacesetter and had a narrow advantage at midstretch, but Vyjack found running room and closed stoutly to just miss.
“We gave him a nice break after his 3-year-old campaign, got a couple races in him at Santa Anita and finally settled on his best distance, which seems to be a flat mile,” said winning trainer Mark Glatt. “Last year we were in contention to win some of the Derbies we tried, but at a mile and an eighth they were just a hair too far for him. With a little rest after that 3-year-old campaign he's come back stronger and carries his weight better and he has proven me right.”
Del Mar's stewards conducted an inquiry into the stretch run concerning bumping between Vyjack and third-place finisher Om (Munnings), but ruled the incident did not warrant a change of placings.
“They [the stewards] asked me if I was going to be second,” said Om's rider Gary Stevens. I told them I can't say I was, but I can't say I wasn't. Vyjack came over and hit me; threw my horse off stride and made me hit the saddle. Enough is enough.”
Blackjackcat, third in the May 27 GIII Daytona S. down the hill at Santa Anita, took a one-mile optional claimer in Arcadia July 2 before besting Vyjack by a half-length in the one-mile Wickerr S. at Del Mar July 23. As a sophomore, the dark bay finished third over the main track in the GII Los Alamitos Derby and over the turf in the GII Twilight Derby.
Pedigree Notes:
Racing in the Kirkwoods' colors, Bootleg Annie won the 2009 Fran's Valentine S. and California Cup Distaff. The mare produced a full-brother to Blackjackcat this year and was bred back to Speightstown. The winner's second dam is multiple stakes winner Shu Biz Annie (Jakin Klugman).
Sunday, Del Mar
DEL MAR MILE H.-GII, $200,345, DMR, 8-20, 3yo/up, 1mT, 1:34.06, fm.
1–@BLACKJACKCAT, 119, g, 4, by Tale of the Cat
1st Dam: Bootleg Annie (MSW, $520,726), by Go for Gin
2nd Dam: Shu Biz Annie, by Jaklin Klugman
3rd Dam: Miss Shuga, by To the Quick
O/B-Al & Saundra Kirkwood (KY); T-Mark Glatt; J-Kent J.
Desormeaux. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 13-5-0-4, $353,270.
Click for eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating:
C+.
2–Vyjack, 120, g, 7, Into Mischief–Life Happened, by Stravinsky.
($45,000 Ylg '11 FTKJUL; $100,000 2yo '12 EASMAY). O-Pick Six
Racing (David Wilkenfeld); B-Machmer Hall (KY); T-Philip
D'Amato. $40,000.[bullet ad=”machmer-hall-born-and-raised”][bullet ad=”selectsales-shell”][bullet ad=”nile-bloodstock-2yo-purchase”]3–Om, 122, h, 5, Munnings–Rare Cat, by Tabasco Cat. ($60,000
Ylg '13 KEESEP; $125,000 2yo '14 BARMAR). O-Sareen Family
Trust; B-Lavin Bloodstock, Bernie Sams & William S. Farish, Jr.
(KY); T-Dan L. Hendricks. $24,000.[bullet ad=”stonestreet-trainingalum”][bullet ad=”indiancreek-longfield”][bullet ad=”gaylevanleer-recommended”][bullet ad=”niall-brennan-nbs-graduate”]Margins: HD, 1, HF. Odds: 8.80, 3.60, 3.30.
Also Ran: Midnight Storm, Le Ken (Arg), Bal a Bali (Brz).
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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