Tomorrows Cat's offspring love New York

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Progeny of the second-year sire Tomorrows Cat took the top two spots in both $125,000 New York Stallion Stakes events for juveniles Sunday at Aqueduct.

Meanwhile, grass specialists Quantum Merit and Ma Femme cruised to easy scores in a pair of $100,000 Stallion Stakes races for 3-year-olds and up, run over soft turf.

In the $125,000 Great White Way Stakes for juvenile males, West Virginia outsprinted Kitty Connection and Eyeofthehunter for the early lead and was never seriously threatened, winning by two lengths. Eyeofthehunter, a maiden making only his second start, held off 3-5 favorite Pa Pa Da by a head for second.

West Virginia ($6.60), owned and bred by Donald and Mary Zuckerman, and Eyeofthehunter, owned by Chester and Mary Broman and bred by Thomas Ryba, are both sons of Tomorrows Cat. West Virginia covered six furlongs in 1:11.39.

Jerry Bailey rode West Virginia, for his 66th stakes win on the year, two shy of Mike Smith's single-year record, set in 1994.

West Virginia is now eligible for a $100,000 bonus if he can win the $150,000 Times Square Stakes next April at Aqueduct and the $250,000 Cab Calloway Stakes in June at Belmont.

In the $125,000 Fifth Avenue Division for 2-year-old fillies, So Sweet a Cat ($6.50) persevered past a tiring Coconut Martini approaching the eighth pole and drew off to a 2 1/4-length victory over French Dish, the 4-5 favorite. So Sweet a Cat ran six furlongs in 1:13.42.

John Velazquez rode So Sweet a Cat, replacing Jose Santos, who was still sore from a Saturday spill and who also had a prior engagement in south Florida.

So Sweet a Cat, owned and bred by Jane Freed and trained by Ralph D'Alessandro, and French Dish, owned and bred by the Zuckermans, are both daughters of Tomorrows Cat.

Tomorrows Cat, a son of Storm Cat, won the 1998 Grade 2 Pegasus Handicap, and is owned by a syndicate headed by Questroyal Stallions and stands at Metropolitan Stud.

In the $100,000 Cormorant Stakes for males, Quantum Merit took over from the pacesetting Winloc's Nelson after a half-mile under Richard Migliore and won handily over Pogolotti Hill. No White Flags was third, followed by defending Cormorant winner and 6-5 favorite Haggs Castle.

Quantum Merit ($7.60), a son of Hansel owned by Very Un Stable, bred by Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Nielsen, and trained by Del Carroll, covered the mile in 1:39.29.

Ma Femme ($10.80) won the $100,000 Perfect Arc in gate-to-wire fashion under Julio Pezua. Longshot Board Eligible got up for second over Multiple Wins. Golden Damsel, the 6-5 favorite despite having never raced on turf, ran fourth.

Ma Femme, owned and bred by Peggy Krumble and trained by John Hertler, covered the mile in 1:40.13.