Portfolio Company seeks stakes breakthrough in Tale of the Cat
The well-regarded Portfolio Company met the best of his division last year in the Breeders’ Cup, but has not yet won a stakes race. His status could change Sunday, when he starts as the probable favorite over Quality G in the $100,000 Tale of the Cat at Monmouth Park.
The feature is for 3-year-olds at 1 1/16 miles on turf. A field of eight has signed on, with six of those runners having already placed in stakes races. All are looking for their first win in a stakes. The Tale of the Cat goes as the seventh of 11 races.
Portfolio Company brings the best portfolio of races to the table, as he has competed in four consecutive graded stakes since winning his debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight on turf last July at Saratoga.
Portfolio Company was the favorite that afternoon for Klaravich Stables, trainer Chad Brown, and jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. The connections made him a popular choice, and so did his pedigree. Portfolio Company is a son of champion Kitten’s Joy and a full brother to both Charming Kitten, a Grade 3 winner of $1 million, and Queen’splatekitten, a stakes winner of $387,313.
Following the maiden win, Portfolio Company went on to run second in both the Grade 3 With Anticipation at Saratoga and Grade 2 Pilgrim at Belmont Park, performances that sent him to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf on Nov. 5 at Del Mar. Portfolio Company set a strong pace and finished eighth, beaten 5 3/4 lengths. The winner, Modern Games, in May won his first start since the Breeders’ Cup in the Group 1 Poule d’Essai de Poulains at Longchamp in France.
Portfolio Company launched his 3-year-old season in May, finishing fifth in the Grade 2 American Turf at Churchill Downs. Since that start, he has turned in a series of sharp half-mile moves in preparation for the Tale of the Cat. Samy Camacho has the mount from post 7.
Portfolio Company could get a tracking trip off Quality G, who will break from the rail one start after finishing third by a half-length in the Jersey Derby at Monmouth. Quality G won his maiden in his second career start in April, on the Tapeta at Gulfstream Park. He proceeded to run second in a turf allowance at Belmont before making his stakes debut last out in the Jersey Derby.
Paco Lopez was aboard and again has the mount from the rail for owner Robert LaPenta and trainer Todd Pletcher.
Affable Monarch is a stakes-placed son of Arrogate making his turf debut. He is from the mare Social Queen, a Grade 3 winner on the grass who earned nearly $350,000. Affable Monarch is a half-brother to Force the Pass, a Grade 1 winner on turf who earned $1.3 million.
Joe Bravo has the mount from post 5 for Colts Neck Stables and trainer Jorge Duarte Jr.
Fort Washington has placed in two stakes and is moving back to the distance that has produced his best Beyer Speed Figures.