Iroquois Winner Cairo Cat Returns in Curlin Stakes
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Photo: Adrianna Lynch
Cairo Cat wins the Iroquois Stakes at Churchill Downs
Walking L Thoroughbreds' Cairo Cat is scheduled to make his racing return in the $100,000 Curlin Stakes July 26 at Saratoga Race Course. The Cairo Prince colt was last seen winning the Iroquois Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs in September before being sidelined.
Cairo Cat outran his odds as a juvenile, breaking his maiden second time out at Saratoga while 18-1, then rallied to a half-length upset in the Iroquois at 17-1. Setbacks kept him out of November's Sentient Jet Breeders' Cup Juvenile (G1) and off this year's Kentucky Derby trail earlier.
"We're excited to get Cairo Cat back to the races. He had a little set back last year, but we feel like he's ready to go back in stake company," trainer Kenny McPeek said. "A mile and an eighth off a layoff ought to be tough, but I expect that he'll run well. Hopefully he runs well enough to justify coming back in the Travers because I think he'll love a mile and a quarter. But we're real pleased with how he's doing."
The Curlin Stakes has served as a prep for the Runhappy Travers Stakes (G1) in recent years. The 2019 Mid-Summer Derby is scheduled for Aug. 24. McPeek added Cairo Cat will remain stabled at the Spa this summer.
Cairo Cat returned to the work tab June 20 at Churchill Downs and got in three works before being shipped to Saratoga. The dark bay/brown colt turned in a five-furlong move July 19 on the Oklahoma Training Track, where he was timed in 1:00.64. Julien Leparoux will ride Cairo Cat for the first time from post 2.
Nine are entered for Friday's 1 1/8-mile event, which is restricted to 3-year-olds who have not won a graded sweepstakes over a mile in 2019.
Coming back from an off-the-board finish in the June 8 Belmont Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G1) is Robert and Lawana Low's Intrepid Heart. Before that effort, the Tapit colt won his first two career starts this year, then stumbled at the break of Belmont Park's Peter Pan Stakes (G3) May 11 and finished third.
"He's been doing well since the Belmont and, watching his works, he's been progressing," said trainer Todd Pletcher. "We'll take our shot in here with him and see how it goes."
Intrepid Heart, who drew the rail, turned in a :49.33 half-mile work July 19 on Saratoga's main track. John Velazquez retains the mount.
Trainers Chad Brown and Jason Servis entered two apiece. Brown trains Looking At Bikinis, a winner of both of his career starts, and Highest Honors, a half brother to dual grade 1 turf winner Diamondrella and multiple grade 1-placed sprinter Bonnie Blue Flag.
Servis handles Grumps Little Tots, who was elevated to second from third in the June 8 Easy Goer Stakes at Belmont Park, and Direct Order, who finished third in Monmouth Park's Pegasus Stakes June 16, with stablemate and recent TVG.com Haskell Invitational Stakes victor (G1) Maximum Security 5 3/4 lengths ahead of him in second.
Rounding out the field is Rowayton, third in the July 6 Dwyer Stakes (G3) after twice altering his path in the stretch of that race and before that effort, he twice was runner-up to Game Winner in grade 1 company at 2; Endorsed, who won a six-furlong allowance race June 23 at Belmont in his first start off an eight-month layoff; and Mo Gotcha, a winner in one of three starts since debuting in April.
Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 26, 2019, Race 9Entries: Curlin S.
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Intrepid Heart (KY)
John R. Velazquez
120
Todd A. Pletcher
7/2
2
2Cairo Cat (KY)
Julien R. Leparoux
122
Kenneth G. McPeek
12/1
3
3Looking At Bikinis (KY)
Javier Castellano
120
Chad C. Brown
5/2
4
4Grumps Little Tots (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
118
Jason Servis
15/1
5
5Rowayton (KY)
Joel Rosario
118
Don Chatlos
9/2
6
6Direct Order (KY)
Luis Saez
118
Jason Servis
10/1
7
7Endorsed (KY)
Joe Bravo
118
Kiaran P. McLaughlin
6/1
8
8Highest Honors (KY)
Jose L. Ortiz
118
Chad C. Brown
5/1
9
9Mo Gotcha (KY)
Junior Alvarado
118
Jeremiah C. Englehart
20/1
