Big Barron's Weekend

- This is a big weekend coming up for Highland Cat, and for me as well. On Friday, Highland Cat makes his turf debut for a 45K tag – hopefully. The entries will be drawn on Wednesday, and there is a chance of some showers on Thursday, though Friday looks OK. As I've reported, he’s had a lot of work done on his hocks, which were said to be sore coming out of his last race, and Bill Turner believes that we’re going to see him make a much better accounting of himself. Plus, he finally makes the switch to the grass, which his breeding, Tactical Cat out of Highland Tide, a Highland Blade (Damascus) mare, indicates that he could like the switch to. Highland Blade was a graded stakes winner on dirt and grass; and Highland Tide is a half to Super May, a Grade 1 winner on the weeds. Truth be told, Highland Cat can’t like the grass much less than he seems to fancy the dirt, so between the switch and the vet work, perhaps this is the right spot?

Regardless of whether he gets in and/or runs well, Highland Cat will be part of a story that I wrote for Barron’s Magazine, which will hit the stands on Derby Day. This will be my maiden race in terms of a professional writing byline, and it’s been an interesting and fun, if sometimes frustrating experience about which I’ll have more to say after it comes out. The piece is about owning horses, specifically from the standpoint of someone like myself involved in a relatively small way through a partnership. And our trials and tribulations with Highland Cat, who was thought of so highly when he first arrived at Turner’s barn, is a big part of the article. In fact, if he wins on Friday, it would almost ruin the effect!

That’s one of the reasons that I expect that he’ll probably run pretty well. In addition, Castle Village is red hot again after a long cold spell; its five recent winners at Aqueduct made the partnership the leading owner, in terms of races won, at the spring meeting! Plus, with his 3/4 brother Jono winning at Pimlico last week, all of the cosmic signs are pointing to a big effort on Friday!

Of course, I’m just relaying all the facts to you and not trying to tout him. I know that some readers have already lost enough money betting on him that they’ll be hesitant to pull the trigger again. (Another reason that he could run well!)