Calgary Cat likely to begin 2015 campaign in Jacques Cartier

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Calgary Cat comes into the 2015 season with the goal of defending his title as Canada’s male sprint champion and likely will kick off his campaign in the $125,000 Jacques Cartier Stakes on April 26, trainer Kevin Attard said.

Calgary Cat won five of seven races last year, all at Woodbine, and led all horses in wins at the meet. His campaign included victories in the Grade 2 Kennedy Road and Grade 3 Bold Venture stakes. Calgary Cat was named champion male sprinter at the Sovereign Awards on April 10 at Woodbine and finished second in voting for Canadian Horse of the Year.

“We were ecstatic that he won,” Attard said. “We were hoping he would. He obviously deserved it. When they read off the three finalists for Horse of the Year, we were all floored. We started off the year in a $40,000 claimer, and next thing you know, he’s on the ballot for Horse of the Year. It’s pretty special.”

Attard said Calgary Cat wintered at Niall Brennan Stables in Ocala, Fla., and resumed training in mid-January with his father, Tino, at Gulfstream Park. Calgary Cat breezed five furlongs on the Polytrack here last Sunday in 1:00.80.

“He’s doing well,” Kevin Attard said. “He worked by himself, and he did it pretty easily. He galloped out well. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, he trains forwardly and we get a chance to breeze him again. If he breezes well this week, then we’ll probably be running in the Jacques Cartier.”