Bluegrass Cat, the runaway winner of yesterday's Haskell Invitational (gr. I) at Monmouth Park, is already back in Saratoga Springs. Although it's hard to envision Bluegrass Cat skipping Saratoga's grade I, $1 million Travers, presented by New York Lottery on Aug. 26, the colt's trainer, Todd Pletcher, was non-committal on a berth in the 10-furlong "Mid-Summer Derby" at this point.The Travers would come 20 days after Bluegrass Cat's big seven-length romp in the Haskell.
"Twenty days is not a lot of time, especially after a huge performance like that," said Pletcher, who won the 2005 Travers with Flower Alley. "I'm always concerned about short rest."Pletcher also mentioned the progress Bluegrass Cat has made this summer.
"He's always shown he's right on the verge of doing something like that, but that catapulted him to the next level," he said. "His effort was as dominating as Bernardini's (Jim Dandy effort) was. I thought it was a real breakthrough performance from Bluegrass Cat."
Bluegrass Cat was the runner-up in both the Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Belmont Stakes (gr. I) earlier this year.
Sunriver, who was basically eased in the Jim Dandy (gr. II), left yesterday for the Equine Hospital at Cornell University. Pletcher suspects the colt has got some trouble with a hind ankle.
"I think he's got an infection in his right-hind ankle," he said. "We should have some results either today or tomorrow."
Earlier this week, Pletcher said he was seriously considering running his turf monster English Channel in Saturday's grade I, $500,000 Sword Dancer Invitational at 12 furlongs instead of the Arlington Million (gr. IT), which is the same day. Now, English Channel is back in the Arlington Million mix.
"I'm right on the fence," Pletcher said. Go Deputy will run in whichever stake English Channel does not.
