Rumson rerun may have new ending

In the Aug. 18 Rumson Stakes at Monmouth Park, Our Wildcat had just enough left to hold off Outstander. To defeat Outstander again in Saturday's $50,000 Bergen County Stakes at The Meadowlands, Our Wildcat will have to run substantially better.

The first three finishers in the Rumson - Our Wildcat, Outstander, and Calends - are among a field of six in the Bergen County, for 3-year-olds going six furlongs. In the Rumson, also at six furlongs, Our Wildcat and Calends dueled on the lead from start to finish, with Outstander closing from a couple of lengths back and falling three-quarters of a length short.

In the Bergen County, Outstander should get the help he needs to catch Our Wildcat. Two of the other three entrants do their best running on the lead, which sets up the probability of a ferocious speed duel and should play right into the hands of Outstander and jockey Chuck Lopez.

Our Wildcat has won from off the pace, but he drew the rail on Saturday, which will make it that much harder for jockey Jose Velez to keep him from participating in the early fray.

Also likely to contribute to the pace are Calends, who has never been more than a head off the early lead; All That Magic, who has not been beaten to the first call in at least his last 10 races; and Spin Zone, who set a sub 21-second first quarter two starts back.

Second Collection is unbeaten in four starts, all with New Jersey-breds, and stalked the pace in each of them. But this is his first time facing open company, and represents a substantial jump in class.

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