Bluegrass Cat Wins Easily

The way Bluegrass Cat won the $1.03-million Haskell Invitational on Sunday at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J., should make for an interesting showdown in three weeks at Saratoga.

The even-money favorite in the Grade I on Sunday, Bluegrass Cat won by a stakes-record seven lengths and almost certainly will take on Preakness and Jim Dandy winner Bernardini in the $1-million Travers on Aug. 26.

Never far off the lead after breaking from the outside in the field of nine 3-year-olds, Bluegrass Cat ran the 1 1/8 miles in 1:48.85 under jockey John Velazquez. Second in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes, the son of Storm Cat now has five wins in 10 starts for owner-breeder WinStar Farm and trainer Todd Pletcher.

“The way he ran today, I think he can beat anybody,” Velazquez said. “I’ve always liked this horse. He’s always had a lot of potential.”

Praying For Cash, a 9-1 shot who set the pace and is owned by a partnership that includes former Duke basketball star Bobby Hurley, finished second, and Strong Contender was third.

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The Haskell wasn’t the only stakes race Pletcher and Velazquez won Sunday in New Jersey.

Ready’s Gal, who is owned by James Scatuorchio, won the $150,000 Matchmaker immediately before the day’s main event.

In the other graded stakes on the program, Three Valleys, who was making his first start of 2006 for Juddmonte Farms and trainer Bobby Frankel, won the $150,000 Oceanport under jockey Ramon Dominguez.

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Healthy Addiction ($9) upset favored Happy Ticket, who was making her first start in California, and won the $300,000 Clement L. Hirsch Handicap on Sunday at Del Mar.

The win in the Grade II was the ninth in 21 starts for Healthy Addiction, a 5-year-old Boston Harbor mare owned by Pamela Ziebarth and trained by John Sadler. Ridden by Victor Espinoza, she ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.92 for her second win in as many tries on the Del Mar main track. Healthy Addiction won the restricted Adoration by a nose as the 9-10 favorite last Sept. 1.

Positioned just off the pace set by longshot Maryfield, Healthy Addiction took the lead approaching the stretch and went on to win her second graded stakes of the year.

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Remarkable News, the 9-2 second choice who had a troubled trip when second in the Poker Handicap a little over a month ago at Belmont Park, had clear sailing on the lead on Sunday and won the $147,000 Fourstardave Handicap at Saratoga.

A 4-year-old Venezuelan-bred owned by Holly Rincon and trained by Angel Penna Jr., Remarkable News got away with soft early fractions (24.54 and 48.22 for the half-mile) under jockey Javier Castellano and was never threatened in the stretch while winning by 2 1/2 lengths. He ran the 1 1/16 miles in the Grade II in 1:40.81 for his sixth win in nine starts.

Artie Schiller, the 3-5 favorite, was fourth. It was the first loss in three starts on the Saratoga grass for the 5-year-old El Prado horse, who is 0 for 3 since his victory in the Breeders’ Cup Mile last Oct. 29 at Belmont.

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Bright One, the even money favorite, rolled to an easy 5 3/4 - length win in the $750,000 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Park.

Mark Guidry rode the 3-year-old Dance Brightly colt for owners Mike and Carolyn Bruder and Delmar Daubs and trainer Dale Romans, and he completed the 1 1/8 miles in the Grade III in 1:50.08. Bright One has three wins in four starts. Cielo Gold, a 23-1 shot, was second, and 11-1 More Than Regal was third.