Cool Blue Red Hot is Confident Again
Cool
Blue Red Hot will be making his stakes debut in the Grade 2, $150,000 Dwyer for
3-year-olds on July 2, and trainer Angel Penna, Jr., is hopeful the Harlan's
Holiday colt will fulfill the promise he showed heading into his sophomore
campaign.
After finishing second by a nose in his debut at
Belmont Park last October, Cool Blue Red Hot closed out 2010 with a 3 ½-length
victory going 1 mile, 70 yards at Calder Race Course. In his next start, Cool
Blue Red Hot was second to Soldat in a 1 1/8-mile allowance at Gulfstream Park
on January 21, followed by a fifth-place finish to Arch Traveler in an
identical spot on February 26.
"We had been thinking about the Kentucky
Derby, but after those two races it was obvious that wasn't going to
happen," said Penna. "He came out of the race against Soldat very
unsettled. I said to his owner [Jim Bakke], with the Derby, you have to
qualify, and it's push-push-push and most times you don't make it. Everyone wants
to win the Derby, but there are other races. Jim said, 'No problem' and we gave
him some time to mature."
The late-running colt returned to the races on
April 30, rallying from last and hitting his best stride in the final 100 yards
to finish third, beaten a half-length in a seven-furlong optional claimer, and
then charging from last again to win a 1 1/16-mile allowance on May 19.
"During the time off he got some confidence
back," said Penna. "He wasn't ready for that type of company yet.
But, colts are resilient, and here he is. Besides, it doesn't cost anything to
dream."