Cat’s Last-Minute Belmont Picks

By Adele

The last of this year’s Triple Crown races, the Belmont Stakes in New York, is only hours away.

The Kentucky Derby’s upset winner, Animal Kingdom, and the Preakness winner who dashed Animal’s Triple Crown dream, Shackleford, are both running against each other for the third time to see if someone can make it two out of three.

My treats are on Animal Kingdom (whom I also predicted to win the Derby) to win the Belmont.

But if both of those past winners poop out on the 1 ½ mile track, my long-shot pick is Prime Cut, ridden by Edgar Prado, a newbie to the Triple Crown races who has finished in the money in his last 6 races, and won two of them.

May the best horse win and may they all be safe!

A Cat’s Kentucky Derby Picks

By Fred

My annual cat-on-horse crush begins with the Kentucky Derby, and there’s stiff competition for my affections.

I was all set to root for the home team, a Virginia-bred horse named Quality Road, but a quarter crack in his hoof got him scratched, to be replaced by Join in the Dance (at odds 50-1).

I Want Revenge with jockey Joe Talamo is favored to win 3-1, but he’s got a lot of baggage. He’s running from (unlucky?) 13^th post position. His trainer, Jeff Mullins, was recently caught and suspended 7 days (beginning May 3 so he can attend the Derby) for illegally medicating another horse before an Aqueduct race. And Big Brown’s former owners, wacky IEAH stables, own a piece of Revenge.

Pioneerof the Nile with jockey Garrett Gomez has 4-1 odds, even though he out-ran Revenge in 2 previous races. Of all the horses I’m watching, Pioneer will be farthest to the outside, at post position 16 in a field of 20.

I’m interested in a couple of jockeys for sentimental reasons. Dunkirk, also at 4-1 odds, will be carrying Barbaro’s former jockey, Edgar Prado. Hold Me Back (15-1) will be under Kent Desormeaux, who won last year’s Derby with Big Brown.

But my Derby pick is an underdog named General Quarters and jockey Julien Leparoux. The General’s odds are 20-1, but he looked good winning the Blue Grass Stakes at Keeneland a few weeks ago, beating both Join in the Dance and Hold Me Back. Eibar Coa rode him at Keeneland, so I hope a new jockey doesn’t bother him.

General Quarters is the only horse owned and trained by 75-year-old Thomas McCarthy, who plans to retire whenever his General does. McCarthy bought the horse for a piddly $20,000, where Dunkirk sold for $3.7 million.

At post position 12, the General will be next to I Want Revenge. Let’s hope there’s no hanky-panky.

I want to see this spunky kid from the ‘hood make good and have his shot at the Triple Crown.

Go, General Quarters!

Big Brown’s Back on Track

By Fred

Big Brown, that independent-thinking wonder horse, is ready to rumble again on August 3 at Monmouth Park, NJ, in the $1 million Haskell Invitational.

Brownie with his jockey Kent Desormeaux

After his stunning wins at the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, only to come in last at Belmont and blow his shot at the Triple Crown, Big Brown has been resting up all summer. Unfortunately, his trainer is still Rick Dutrow, Jr., who seems to keep his head buried in kitty litter. He recently said, “…I know the horse went into the Belmont in good condition. I have no idea what happened in that race.”

Hello??!!

Big Brown got hemmed in and bumped by a pack at the rail when he’s used to running free and clear on the outside, it was stifling hot that day, the dirt on the track was much deeper than he likes, and his right rear shoe was falling off.

Anyway, Dutrow says Big Brown today “looks amazing. He’s shiny. He’s happy. He looks as good as he always has.”

Dutrow, meanwhile, has been busy appealing a 15-day suspension by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for doping another horse at Churchill Downs in May. As long as he drags it out, he can keep working with his horses.

We’ve all got our paws crossed at Cats Working that Big Brown, who has won 5 of his 6 races and earned $2.7 million so far, will again make the other horses at Monmouth look like they’re standing still – most notably, Atoned, who’s being ridden by the late Barbaro’s jockey, Edgar Prado.

Go, Brownie!!