by Sarah Mace
Vinery Ltd. announced on Friday that it will be partnering with WinStar Farm to stand top second-crop sire Bluegrass Cat – a Grade 1-winner, millionaire and classic contender by Storm Cat out of an A. P. Indy mare – at Vinery New York at Sugar Maple in Poughquag in 2012 as a Vinery/WinStar Venture.
Bluegrass Cat made a huge splash when his first crop hit the scene last year, and his progeny have enjoyed continued success. He is currently fifth on the Thoroughbred Times second-crop sire list with cumulative progeny earnings of $3,553,283. With four stakes winners and 14 stakes performers, his offspring include multiple graded stakes-winning filly Kathmanblu ($559,096) and Canadian champion colt finalist Blue Laser. Bluegrass Cat has nine juvenile winners from his second crop, including New York-bred stakes-winner Zow, a top contender in the New York Breeders’ Futurity to be run later today at Finger Lakes.
Tom Ludt, president of Vinery said, “We identified Bluegrass Cat as a top stallion and approached WinStar with the idea of partnering. We wanted to give the New York Breeders another reason to stay home, and have the type of stallion that Kentucky breeders will follow.” Ludt continued, “At only 8 years old, Bluegrass Cat has it all – race record, looks and one of the best pedigrees in the stud book. Already at stud, he has several current graded stakes runners, big books, and a lot of foals in the pipeline. So we feel like everything is in place for him to be the leading sire in New York for many years to come.”
Bred and campaigned by WinStar Farm, Bluegrass Cat is out of the A.P. Indy mare She’s a Winner, a full sister to Supercharger, dam of 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver.
Bluegrass Cat was a standout on the race track at two and three. As a juvenile, Bluegrass Cat took the Grade 3 Nashua Stakes and Grade 2 and Remsen Stakes. A Triple Crown contender the following year, he ran second in the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (to Barbaro) and the Grade 1 Belmont Stakes (to Jazil), and went on to romp by seven lengths in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational Stakes. In his final start he finished second to Bernardini in the Grade 1 Travers. Bluegrass Cat retired with a record of 5-4-0 from 11 starts and earnings of $1,761,280.
Elliott Walden, president and chief executive officer of WinStar is excited about the bright prospects on the horizon in the Empire State. “We’re ready to make a big splash in New York,” Walden said. “It’s a market we’ve looked at with great interest for some time now because of the unlimited potential. Going into New York with a top-caliber stallion like Bluegrass Cat, and partnering with an established forerunner in New York like Vinery, fit the bill for us.”
“WinStar has been fortunate to have enjoyed success in venture stallions such as Tiznow, and Speightstown, and we’re looking forward to continued success with Vinery. WinStar plans on breeding as many mares to him in New York as we did in Kentucky. Here is an example of the excitement already in New York: in five seconds Mike Repole said he was in.”
A 2012 stud fee for Bluegrass Cat, who has his own Facebook Page, will be announced later.
