From a Maryland Jockey Club release
Narrowly beaten in his only two previous graded-stakes attempts, Michael Lund Petersen’s Cat Burglar will get another chance in Friday’s $300,000 Sagamore Racing Pimlico Special (G3).
The 45th running of the Pimlico Special is one of seven stakes, four of them graded, on a spectacular 14-race Black-Eyed Susan Day program at Pimlico Race Course that includes the Ultimate Girls Day Out, with events dedicated to the spirit and strength of women.
A 5-year-old son of Unbridled’s Song, Cat Burglar is trained by Hall of Famer Bob Baffert, who on Saturday will saddle Kentucky Derby (G1) winner American Pharoah and third-place finisher Dortmund in his quest for a sixth Preakness Stakes (G1) victory.
In his lone start this year, Cat Burglar ran second as the favorite in a one-mile optional claiming allowance at Churchill Downs on the Derby undercard. It was his first race in 11 months, since finishing third by less than a length in the Brooklyn (G2) at Belmont Park.
Last May, Cat Burglar was third, beaten 1 ½ lengths by Revolutionary, in the 1 3/16-mile Pimlico Special, which marked his stakes debut. He has finished worse than third only once in nine lifetime starts, with three wins.
“He really needed his last out the other day. He got a little tired, so we figured we’d run him here,” Baffert said. “He ran well on this track here last year, so we’re hoping maybe for a little spark. It’s a tough race, but he came out his last race well.”
Cat Burglar is the third choice on the morning line at 5-1 in a field of nine older horses. He will break with jockey Victor Espinoza from post 8, one spot inside program favorite Commissioner.
“He’s a big, beautiful horse,” Baffert said. “He had a setback and he’d been off a long time, so hopefully this will get him going again. He was a little fresh the other day, but we’re just trying to get him in there and maybe get a little piece of the action.”
