Broken Leg Forces Retirement of Bluegrass Cat

Bluegrass Cat, who finished a distant second to Bernardini in the $1-million Travers on Saturday, has been retired after injuring a leg.

The 3-year-old son of Storm Cat was fine immediately after the race, but he was lame Sunday morning and X-rays revealed a fracture in the colt’s right hind leg. The injury probably will require surgery. He will be a stallion in 2007.

Owned by WinStar Farm and trained by Todd Pletcher, Bluegrass Cat finished his career with five wins in 11 starts and earnings of $1,761,280. He won the Nashua and Remsen as a 2-year-old and his two stakes victories this year were the Sam F. Davis on March 18 at Tampa Bay Downs and a seven-length romp in the Haskell Invitational on Aug. 6 at Monmouth Park in Oceanport, N.J.

Besides his runner-up effort in the Travers, Bluegrass Cat was second in the Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes.

“Considering what we know now, he ran a great race in the Travers,” Pletcher said. “He’s a courageous and talented horse. He ran terrific in the Haskell, and considering his pedigree, he should be a successful stallion.”

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T.H. Approval, the even-money favorite, rallied on the outside in the final quarter of a mile to win the $400,000 Del Mar Handicap on Sunday at Del Mar.

The win was the third Grade II stakes victory of the year for the 5-year-old With Approval horse, who is owned by breeder Tadahiro Hotehama and trainer Eduardo Inda. Previously, the gray had won the San Juan Capistrano at Santa Anita and the Sunset Breeders’ Cup Handicap at Hollywood Park.

Ridden by Alex Solis, T.H. Approval completed the 1 3/8 miles on turf in 2:12.34. It was the second win in four years for Solis in the Del Mar Handicap. He had won with Irish Warrior in 2003.

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Dubai Escapade, the 13-10 favorite, rebounded from her first loss in the U.S. with a dominant performance in the $240,000 Ballerina Breeders’ Cup on Sunday at Saratoga.

The 4-year-old Awesome Again filly established the lead in the Grade I stakes race at seven furlongs and was never menaced while winning by 8 1/2 lengths. Under Edgar Prado, she ran the distance in 1:23.07.

This was the sixth win in eight career starts for Dubai Escapade, who is owned by Darley Stable and trained by Eoin Harty. Nothing But Fun finished second and Stormy Kiss was third.

“She is such a fast filly,” said Prado, who was unsure why Dubai Escapade ran sixth on July 15 in the Princess Rooney at Calder as the 3-10 favorite. “She just didn’t handle the track at Calder for whatever reason. When they didn’t run with her early [Sunday], I knew she was going to be very tough today.”

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Lawyer Ron, the 4-5 favorite, made a successful return to the races in winning the $250,000 St. Louis Derby on Saturday night at Fairmount Park in Collinsville, Ill.

The winner of the Arkansas Derby before he was sidelined with a bone chip in an ankle after finishing 12th in the Kentucky Derby, Lawyer Ron beat 30-1 shot Smokeyjonessuton by three-quarters of a length in 1:42.80 for the 1 1/16 miles.

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Promenade Girl, the 5-2 second choice, beat favored Round Pond by a head to win the $294,000 Molly Pitcher Breeders’ Cup on Sunday at Monmouth Park. Jeremy Rose rode the 4-year-old Carson City filly for owner-breeder Sondra Bender and trainer Lawrence Murray. She ran the 1 1/16 miles in the Grade II race in 1:42.98 over a sloppy track.