Megans Bluff wins Mint Julep again

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Megans Bluff won the $112,900 Mint Julep Handicap for the second year in a row Saturday at Churchill Downs, holding off a stretch-long bid by Cozy Island to capture the Grade 3 race by a neck.

Megans Bluff, the 118-pound highweight in a field of eight fillies and mares, returned $9.60 as third choice. She ran the 1 1/16 miles in 1:42.87 over a good turf. Cozy Island finished another three lengths ahead of Solvig, the 2-1 favorite.

Megans Bluff was ridden by Craig Perret, who won three other races on the Saturday card at Churchill. Megans Bluff is owned by James Routsong of Dayton, Ohio and trained by John Hennig.

Cozy Island, the fourth choice, ridden by Brian Peck, made a strong outside bid leaving the far turn but was unable to get past the winner.

Megans Bluff, who won the 2001 Mint Julep with Perret aboard, has won 8 of 26 career starts and earned over $740,000.

The 8-5 exacta paid $49.40; the 8-5-10 trifecta paid $139.20.

o Perfect Drift, the gelding who skipped the Preakness after finishing third in the Kentucky Derby, had his first work since the Derby, breezing five furlongs in 1:00.40 Saturday at the Trackside training annex.