Cat Shaker On the Prowl to Arkansas Derby

Cat Shaker, upset winner of the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway Park on the Lane's End Stakes (gr. II) undercard March 26 is headed toward next Saturday's Arkansas Derby (gr. II), according to owner Bill Callis.

Callis had to pony up a $50,000 supplementary fee to enter the 1 1/8-mile race for 3-year-olds at Oaklawn Park. The colt, by Catienus--Diamonds n Pearls, by Black Tie Affair, will leave by Sallee van Friday afternoon for the trip to Hot Springs, Ark.

"We were going to go in the Coolmore Lexington, but two weeks is not enough time to set him up properly," said Callis. The Coolmore Lexington (gr. II) is to be run April 23 at Keeneland, two weeks prior to the Kentucky Derby. The Arkansas Derby is three weeks before the first Saturday in May.

"I'm going to listen to my son. He's the one that's gotten us here," Callis said. Cat Shaker is trained by 35-year-old Craig Callis.

In the 1 1/16-mile Rushaway, Cat Shaker came from ninth place to win by a half-length over Daddy Joe. It was 6 3/4 lengths back to third-place finisher Catch Me. Cat Shaker has a 2-1-3 slate from nine starts and has earned $94,915. Earlier this year, he was third in both the Turfway Prevue Stakes and WEBN Stakes at Turfway.

Bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Cat Shaker was a $2,300 Fasig-Tipton Kentucky October sales yearling.

As for paying the hefty supplement, Callis, a Lexington businessman said: "This is a one-time shot as far as I'm concerned. I've been in the business for 23 years and never had a shot like this."

The recent victory has also brought a lot of calls to sell all or part of the colt.

"We've had some serious offers," Callis said. "They're all open right now. They've been very fair offers. The phone rang off the hook for about five days there."