Monday Morning Notes - April 16

- Another week and a couple of days to go of my handicapping for the Keeneland Special. I'm endeavoring to post here as much as possible, but please bear with me through any gaps. Especially with the Rangers home Tuesday and Wednesday nights this week!

Highland Cat is entered in that long-awaited grass race on Wednesday, a $35,000 NW2 event that seems like a perfect spot for him. Unfortunately, there are a couple of problems. For one thing, he didn't draw into the main body of the race; he's first on the also eligible list, so he needs a scratch to get in. Whatsmore, the northeaster that battered the area with several inches of rain is still lingering and is expected to do so through tomorrow, so it seems highly doubtful to me that the race will stay on the grass.

- A few Keeneland notes: Trainer Phil Sims is definitely one to watch there. He had three close seconds with his last three starters last week, and broke through to the winner's column on Sunday with Unthinkable in the third; 10-1 morning line, he paid $11.80 with Leparoux.

Ken McPeek had a winner, a second, and a third on Sunday. He's a guy who hasn't enjoyed much success at Keeneland over the last couple of years - he's 3 for 52 during that time. So maybe he's due for a couple more winners. Also keeping an eye on Graham Motion, Dale Romans, and, of course, Michael Matz.

Perfect Drift had no excuse for his second to Stream Cat on Saturday. He saved ground on both turns - he ran 45 feet less than the winner - but just wasn't good enough to handle a horse who had never run faster than an 88 Beyer. You can point to the layoff, of course, but he's going to have to do much better than that if he wants to continue competing against top company at the age of eight. Stream Cat was coming off a layoff too, and a longer one - he hadn't been out since July for Biancone. The trainer also won there with Quasicobra off a similar layoff last week.

Wait A While was fifth in Saturday's Jenny Wiley, which was transferred to Polytrack due to the rain. I guess not every turf horse takes to the surface.

"She was herself, and she tried to give her usual performance," said her jockey, Garrett Gomez. "But you could just tell she couldn't get a hold of the racetrack." [DRF]