Cougar Cat Sharp In Mornings, But Aristides Bid Unlikely

Richland Hills LLC’s Cougar Cat moved closer to his return to competition as the runner-up in last year’s Aristides (GIII) turned in a sizzling work on Friday at Churchill Downs, but it’s unlikely that he’ll make another bid for the stakes race in which he ran so well just a year ago.

The 6-year-old son of Storm Cat breezed five furlongs over a “fast” track in :59.40, which tied with move by the promising 3-year-old filly Secret Gypsy as the fastest move of 16 at the distance.

The sharp move was welcomed by trainer Ronny Werner, but it did not earn his veteran a spot in the starting gate for this year’s running of the $125,000-added Aristides. That six-furlong race – which will be run on Saturday, May 31 – is expected to lure the likes of Summerplace Farm’s Kelly’s Landing, winner of the 2005 Aristides and runner-up to champion Lost in the Fog the following year; Maggi Moss’ multiple stakes winner Indian Chant, who defeated Kelly’s Landing in an Aristides allowance prep and currently holds the track record time for six furlongs; and Tom Walters’ Elite Squadron and George Bolton, Joan Corrigan and Antony Beck’s Noonmark, the 1-2 finishers in the Churchill Downs Stakes (GII) on Kentucky Derby Day.

“I think we’re going to bypass that race,” said Werner. “He’s been putting up some good works, but I just think he needs to go in a little softer spot. He does like this track and it’s the spot we always wanted, but I think we’d better look for an allowance race to start him back.”

Last year at this time Cougar Cat was prepping for an upset bid in the Aristides won by the impressive Fabulous Strike. But Werner’s veteran finished second that day at odds of 23-1. He followed that with a runner-up finish as the favorite in the Iowa Sprint Handicap at Prairie Meadows. He was beaten that day by a rising star named Benny the Bull, who this year won the $2 million Dubai Golden Shaheen at Nad Al Sheba for trainer Rick Dutrow.

Despite those impressive back-to-back performances in mid-year, Cougar Cat failed to win in his remaining four races on the season. He went on the shelf following a disappointing sixth-place finish behind Junior College in the Bet on Sunshine overnight handicap on Nov. 17 at Churchill Downs and has not raced since.

“He had quarter cracks,” said Werner. “His feet have been an issue all of his life. He was backing off. I really didn’t think they were bothering him that much, but they may have been a little bit more than I thought. He just started tailing off, so we decided to just let the feet grow out and give him some time off.”

Cougar Cat has a career record of 4-5-2 in 23 races and has earned $243,646.