NEWS
Dont Blame the Cat roars to Miracle Wood victory
Posted: Saturday, February 27, 2010 6:43 PM
DONT BLAME THE CAT
Jim McCue/Maryland Jockey Club
To view the Miracle Wood Stakes, click here.
by Ron Parker
Mary Raymond’s Dont Blame the Cat surged clear in the stretch as the 1.30-to-1 favorite to win the $54,000 Miracle Wood Stakes on Saturday at Laurel Park.
Cole T set the pace in the seven-furlong race on the main track, which attracted a field of ten three-year-olds, and Kens Cape and Deputy Daney tracked the leader. Jockey Erick Rodriguez rated Dont Blame the Cat in midpack while racing four wide.
Dont Blame the Cat launched his winning bid in the stretch and the Catienus gelding drove clear in the closing strides to prevail by a length.
“The instructions were to take him back but be close,” Rodriguez said. “It was good to be on the outside because I let the speed go and got good position. I got a really good trip.”
Regal Warrior, bumped and pinched at the start, made a late rally to finish second. Cole T was another half-length back in third.
Dont Blame the Cat completed seven furlongs in 1:23.62 on a track rated as fast.
Trained by Richard Dutrow Jr., Dont Blame the Cat picked up his third victory in four starts and secured his first stakes win. He increased his earnings to $75,193.
None of the top three finishers was among the early nominations to the Triple Crown, but their connections have an opportunity to pay a $6,000 late nomination fee by March 27.
Dont Blame the Cat is one of two winners from as many starters out of the winning Belong to Me mare Notmyfault. The family includes 1989 champion older male and sire Blushing John.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer
