Blue Sky Kowboy will make his run in Buck's Boy Handicap

STICKNEY, Ill. – Blue Sky Kowboy can finish with the best turf horses on the Chicago circuit. It’s the early part of races that cause him problems.

Blue Sky Kowboy breaks from the gate and settles into stride like a ranch hand readying for a siesta, and by the time he wakes up – usually around the three-eighths pole – the horse often already has gotten out of the barn – or in this case, made a break for the finish line.

So, as usual, Blue Sky Kowboy appears to have a good chance to swoop to victory Saturday at Hawthorne in the $50,000 Buck’s Boy Handicap, a 1 1/16-mile grass race for Illinois-breds, and, as usual, his flying finish could come too late.

Blue Sky Kowboy drew the rail, has Carlos Marquez Jr. named to ride, and is the 123-pound co-highweight with Christian C. Christian C and Blue Sky Kowboy have taken turns beating each other this year, and several others in this race – Cammack, Memory Bank, and Don’task Don’ttell – have been regulars in the division for at least a couple years. Blue Sky Kowboy nearly won the open Hawthorne Derby over this course two autumns ago, but as so often has been the case, his late run fell just short.

Christian C makes his first start since being purchased by Patricia’s Hope LLC and moved from trainer Wayne Catalano to trainer Larry Rivelli. He’s got a good draw from the outside post and will clearly get the jump on Blue Sky Kowboy but has no experience over the Hawthorne grass course. Cammack won the 2018 Buck’s Boy but is an 8-year-old four races removed from a top-level effort. Devileye, trained like Blue Sky Kowboy by Michele Boyce, finally is entered to make his first start of 2019. He has preferred shorter distances, though he’s as talented as anyone in the race.