Big Blue Kitten targets two Saratoga stakes

Big Blue Kitten is undefeated on the turf at Saratoga, and his connections hope that statistic remains intact by summer’s end, with the 7-year-old horse likely to make two starts at the upcoming meet.

Big Blue Kitten, the winner of the Grade 1 United Nations at Monmouth Park on July 5, will be pointed to both the Grade 2, $250,000 Bowling Green on Aug. 1 and the Grade 1, $1 million Sword Dancer on Aug. 29. This is the first time the Bowling Green, run at 1 3/8 miles, will be run at Saratoga.

“Our thoughts are to try to keep him at a mile and three-eighths to a mile and a half from here on to the Breeders’ Cup,” trainer Chad Brown said Thursday at Belmont. “We’re running back a little sooner than we would prefer, but it keeps us on schedule working backwards from the Breeders’ Cup.”

Big Blue Kitten, who also was under consideration for the Arlington Million, is 3 for 3 at Saratoga, having won the Hall of Fame Stakes in 2011, the Sword Dancer in 2013, and the Lure Stakes there last year.

“He has an affinity for the track,” Brown said. “I would prefer not to have to ship the horse when he runs. It makes a lot of sense to run him twice at a track that he loves.”

Brown still will be represented in the Arlington Million by Slumber, who finished second to Big Blue Kitten in the United Nations.