Classical Cat Has Options Following Eddie Logan Score

December 31, 2022

Classical Cat after his Eddie Logan victory (Ernie Belmonte/Past The Wire)

Santa Anita Press Release

ARCADIA, Calif.— Trainer Phil D’Amato reported Classical Cat, winner of Friday’s one-mile Eddie Logan for 2-year-old males on turf, exited the victory in good order and was doing well Saturday morning.

“He came out of the race in good shape,” said D’Amato, who collected his second stakes win of the meet following his tally in the Grade I American Oaks on opening day. “It was a nice hard-fought victory.”

Classical Cat is from the first crop of Mendelssohn, who won the 2017 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and then added the Group II UAE Derby on dirt the following spring. Classical Cat started his career on dirt with a debut win sprinting at Del Mar in September followed by a seventh-place effort in the Grade I Del Mar Futurity.

Stretched out to a mile on grass for his third start at Santa Anita in late October, Classical Cat responded with a one-length victory as the favorite.

Many trainers with a top young horse this time of year will often have thoughts of taking a shot on the Kentucky Derby trail. While Classical Cat does own a win on dirt in his debut for owner Michael House, D’Amato indicated he is in no rush to move him off the grass.

“We’ll kind of take it day by day, but we’re very happy with his performance and how he looks today,” D’Amato said. “If the right kind of (dirt) opportunity came along, we could entertain it. But for now we’re thinking of keeping him on the turf and making him a Del Mar Derby kind of a horse.”

“For a unique and real perspective on horse racing, I read Jonathan Stettin’s column Past the Wire.” Bob Baffert, Multiple Triple Crown winner, Eclipse Award winner, Hall of Fame Champion Trainer

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