Big Blue Kitten rolling ahead of BC Turf

ELMONT, N.Y. – After Big Blue Kitten finished fourth in last year’s Joe Hirsch Turf Classic, his connections didn’t feel good enough about going on to the Breeders’ Cup, especially against Main Sequence, the Joe Hirsch winner who had clearly defined himself as the division’s best.

This year, after he set a course record winning Saturday’s Joe Hirsch at Belmont Park, it could be argued Big Blue Kitten is North America’s top male turf horse heading into next month’s $3 million BC Turf at Keeneland, a race that he will participate in.

“His body of work this year, he’s got to be the leader in the division running first or second in all these races,” said Chad Brown, who trains Big Blue Kitten for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Big Blue Kitten added the Joe Hirsch to a resume that includes victories in the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park and the Fort Marcy and seconds in the Arlington Million and Manhattan.

His victory in the Joe Hirsch – in which he set a course record running 1 1/2 miles in 2:23.39 – earned Big Blue Kitten a fees-paid berth into the BC Turf, a race in which he finished fourth in 2013. Big Blue Kitten earned a career-best 106 Beyer Speed Figure for the Hirsch.

Brown believes his 7-year-old has ample time to bounce back from the effort and perform at a high level in the Breeders’ Cup.

“Thankfully we have five weeks instead of four,” said Brown. “Hopefully that will work out okay for him. He’s not a horse we do a whole lot with in the morning anyway. We’ll just continue to do light maintenance with him in between his races, and hopefully he has another big one in him five weeks from now.”

Brown also trained Joe Hirsch runner-up Slumber. He is not Breeders’ Cup nominated, and it would cost him $100,000 to supplement to the race. A decision on that won’t be made for a little while.

Twilight Eclipse, third in the Joe Hirsch and third in last year’s BC Turf, will point to the Breeders’ Cup again, according to Terry Finley, head of West Point Thoroughbreds, which owns the gelding.

Red Rifle, fourth as the favorite in the Joe Hirsch, will ship to Keeneland on Wednesday to train toward the BC Turf, trainer Todd Pletcher said.

Red Rifle will be on the same flight with stablemate Rock Fall, who earned his way into the BC Sprint with his neck victory over Salutos Amigos in Saturday’s Grade 1 Vosburgh. It was Rock Fall’s seventh straight victory, second in a Grade 1. He also won the Alfred G. Vanderbilt on Aug. 1 in Saratoga.

The margin of victory was not as impressive perhaps as expected, given the colt’s 2-5 odds, but he did run six furlongs in 1:08.70 and never was hit by jockey Javier Castellano.

“There’s a balancing act between trying to win a Grade 1 and saving something for the next one,” Pletcher said. “I thought he ran extremely well. He’s been remarkably consistent to keep doing it over and over. Hopefully, he can do it again in the Breeders’ Cup.”

Trainer and part-owner David Jacobson said Salutos Amigos lost his right front shoe in the Vosburgh. Salutos Amigos will be aimed for the Sprint, a race in which he finished seventh, beaten only three lengths, last year.

“I’m so confident in him right now that he’s back in form,” Jacobson said. “[Rock Fall] is an amazing horse, but with a little bit of racing luck, we would have beaten him yesterday.”

Jacobson said he wasn’t sure what would be next for Stallwalkin’ Dude, who ran third in the Vosburgh. He indicated he could be a Sprint candidate if something happened to Salutos Amigos.

Linda Rice, trainer of Vosburgh fourth-place finisher Palace, would like to run in the BC Sprint if Palace – winless in three starts this year – could get in.

Rice and owner Sheila Rosenblum said it is “highly likely” Gallant Bloom winner La Verdad will be supplemented to the BC Filly and Mare Sprint for a fee of $100,000. La Verdad won the Gallant Bloom by a half-length over Wavell Avenue for her fifth win in as many starts this year.

Wedding Toast came off a 112-day layoff to dominate Saturday’s Grade 1 Beldame Stakes by 2 3/4 lengths under Jose Lezcano. It was Wedding Toast’s third consecutive graded stakes victory – all around one turn at Belmont Park – and her eighth win from 12 career starts.

Kiaran McLaughlin, the trainer of Wedding Toast, said it was the perfect prep for the BC Distaff.

“You don’t say it very often – maybe once every two years – I told him try not to hit her, try not to let her gallop out strong, the big dance is in five weeks, and it worked out great,” McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin said he is not concerned running Wedding Toast around two turns.

“We don’t think two turns is an issue,” said McLaughlin. “It’s just that we had an option here for the Grade 1, good timing. Had she been tearing the barn down and doing great, we would have run in the Personal Ensign two turns. She wasn’t doing that.”

Wedding Toast returned Sunday to Saratoga, where she – and BC Classic hopeful Frosted – will train for the next few weeks.

Curalina, runner-up in the Beldame, will go on to the Breeders’ Cup, Todd Pletcher said.

Isotherm, winner of the Grade 3 Pilgrim, will target the BC Juvenile Turf.

“It was a pretty impressive performance,” trainer George Weaver said. “He didn’t win by a big margin, but he settled a little better, lost ground on the turn. I thought it was going to be hard to sustain that run he had, but he did. We’ll definitely try to go if we’re pleased with how he’s doing.”