Highland Cat Tunes Up

- Highland Cat breezed a half in 49.64 seconds on Wednesday morning, the tenth best of 21 at the distance. He remains on course to make his turf debut in a maiden special at a flat mile on Saturday. His sire, Tactical Cat, has had his stud fee halved from $10,000 to $5,000 at Overbrook Farm in Kentucky. It’s been a slow year both on the track (he ranks 25th in 2005 earnings amongst third year sires) and in the shed (bred only 38 mares in 2005).

However, his biggest earner this year, Virden, took the G3 Senorita on the grass, and Highland Cat is similarly bred, both being out of Damascus-line broodmare sires – Private Terms, a grandson, for Virden, and Highland Blade, a son, for our guy. Highland Blade was a versatile handicap star in the early 80’s for Pen-Y-Bryn Farm and David Whiteley. He ran second to Summing in the 1981 Belmont Stakes, sweeping by Derby/Preakness winner Pleasant Colony while widest on the turn, and getting to within a half length of the winner at the end. It was all accompanied by one of Marshall Cassidy’s more unbearable calls. Highland Blade won stakes on dirt and turf, taking the Marlboro Cup and Brooklyn Handicap on the dirt, and the Pan American and Red Smith on the weeds.

Highland Cat has a three year old half brother by High Yield (like Tactical Cat, by Storm Cat) named Jono, who broke his maiden on the turf in England last year [Oops, wrong horse, nevermind]. The dam, Highland Tide, was stakes placed on the dirt; but half brother Super May was a stakes horse on the grass, taking the Grade 1 Mervyn LeRoy. So, while there are reasons to be hopeful, it’s basically, after his dismal last race, taking a shot and hoping for the best.

- Business is booming at the new slots parlor in Bangor, Maine, as patrons pumped more than $12.5 million into the gambling facility's 475 slot machines. [Bangor Daily News]