Cat Burglar Gets Another Chance in Pimlico Special
Narrowly beaten in his only two previous graded-stakes attempts, Michael Lund Petersen’s Cat Burglar will get another chance in Friday’s $300,000 Sagamore Racing Pimlico Special (G3).
The 45th running of the Pimlico Special is one of seven stakes, four of them graded, on a spectacular 14-race Black-Eyed Susan Day program at Pimlico Race Course that includes the Ultimate Girls Day Out, with events dedicated to the spirit and strength of women.
A 5-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song, Cat Burglar is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who on Saturday will saddle Kentucky Derby (G1) winner American Pharoah and third-place finisher Dortmund in his quest for a sixth Preakness Stakes (G1) victory.
In his lone start this year, Cat Burglar ran second as the favorite in a one-mile optional claiming allowance at Churchill Downs on the Derby undercard. It was his first race in 11 months, since finishing third by less than a length in the Brooklyn (G2) at Belmont Park.
Last May, Cat Burglar was third, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Revolutionary, in the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special, which marked his stakes debut. He has finished worse than third only once in nine lifetime starts, with three wins.
“He really needed his last out the other day. He got a little tired, so we figured we’d run him here,” Baffert said. “He ran well on this track here last year, so we’re hoping maybe for a little spark. It’s a tough race, but he came out his last race well.”
Cat Burglar is the third choice on the morning line at 5-1 in a field of nine older horses. He will break with jockey Victor Espinoza from post 8, one spot inside program favorite Commissioner.
“He’s a big, beautiful horse,” Baffert said. “He had a setback and he’d been off a long time, so hopefully this will get him going again. He was a little fresh the other day, but we’re just trying to get him in there and maybe get a little piece of the action.”
Vyjack Making Maryland Debut in Pimlico Special
Multiple graded-stakes winner Vyjack goes after his first victory outside of New York in the Pimlico Special. Trained by Rudy Rodriguez for David Wilkenfeld’s Pick Six Racing, the 5-year-old gelding is 15-1 on the morning line.
“The owners wanted to try to do it so we are going to try to do it,” Rodriguez said. “We’re going to run him and see where we stand. We also want to try him on the grass, but here we’re going to see if we can get him to relax and finish.”
Vyjack won the first four starts of his career, including the Jerome (G2) and Gotham (G3) at Aqueduct, but has won only two of 14 races since. Third in the Wood Memorial (G1), he was 18th in the Kentucky Derby and eighth in the Belmont Stakes (G1) in 2013.
Last year, Vyjack won the one-mile Kelso Handicap (G2) and was third in the Forego (G1). After being cut back to a mile or less in six of seven races following the Triple Crown, he has made each of his last three starts at 1 1/8 miles.
“He’s a very talented horse and he is training very good, so we are looking forward to seeing if he can go the mile and three-sixteenths. Hopefully, it sets up good and he can have a good run,” Rodriguez said. “I think he’s more like a mile horse, but the Met Mile is coming up very, very tough. This will give us a little more indication of where to go with him.”
Vyjack became a millionaire with his fourth-place finish in the $1.5 million Charles Town Classic (G2) April 18, having earned $1,011,500 in 18 lifetime starts.
“He doesn’t show any indication that he doesn’t want to do it anymore. He looks very happy and he’s training very, very good,” Rodriguez said. “Mentally he’s doing very, very good, and that’s why we’re trying the race. The race is not easy, that’s for sure.”
Source: Maryland Jockey Club