Terrys Tom Cat needs scratch to join field for Thursday feature

DEL MAR, Calif. – Trainer Chris Hartman is on the outside looking in with Terrys Tom Cat and will have to hope for a scratch to get into Thursday’s featured race 7 at Del Mar with a horse who looks like the one to beat should he run.

An unfortunate confluence of events put Terrys Tom Cat on the also-eligible list. The turf rails for Thursday will be set at 30 feet to protect the inside part of the course in advance of this weekend’s three graded stakes races. That limited the field for the 1 3/8-mile grass race to nine.

But when 11 were entered for the $65,000 race, two had to end up on the also-eligible list. Under the condition book’s rules for optional-claiming races such as this, horses using their allowance condition have preference over those entered for claiming tags. So, the eight using their first-level allowance condition were assured a spot, including Pernicious, who has beaten a total of two horses in his last six starts. Two of those races were against $8,000 claimers.

Thus, of the three entered for a $40,000 claiming tag, there was room for only one in the main body of the race, and preference is given to the horse whose last start was the least recent, in this case Danas Best, who hasn’t raced since November.

As a result, Terrys Tom Cat is the first also-eligible.

“It’s an absolute tragedy he’s not in the race,” Hartman said. “We’re going to have to wait on pins and needles. I need to run him, I know that.”

Terrys Tom Cat was claimed by Hartman last time out, when he won a 1 1/8-mile claiming race over this course, his second win in three starts on the local turf.

“It appears he’ll be pretty tough if he scratches in,” Hartman said. “We’ve got to get a little lucky.”

Danas Best may be the one to beat if Terrys Tom Cat doesn’t get in.

KEY CONTENDERS
Terrys Tom Cat, by Bluegrass Cat
Last 3 Beyers: 89-84-84

◗ It appears that Hartman made a shrewd claim, for Terrys Tom Cat got a Beyer Speed Figure one point shy of his career best in his last start.

Danas Best, by Danasinga
Last 3 Beyers: 93-87-97

◗ He is racing for a claiming tag for the first time after trying stakes and allowance runners last year.

◗ His best race in four starts last year might have been his first, here last July, so he has a license to run well fresh.

Banze No Oeste, by Elusive Quality
Beyer: 77

◗ This Brazilian import, Group 1-placed in his native land, split the field when fourth of seven in his U.S. debut July 23 when making his first start in 9 1/2 months.