From the Spa,” written by our on-site correspondent Joe Aiello, III, returns to keep you up-to-date on horses bred in the mid-Atlantic racing in Saratoga stakes.
August 12th, Saratoga’s 9th race is the $100,000 Tale of the Cat
Stakes. This race is named after the famous sire Tale of the Cat, who
has sireda long list of multiple graded stakes winners. This list
includes Stopchargingmaria, a dominant Breeders Cup Distaff winner who also holds victories in the Spa’s feature race for filly horses, the
$600,000 Grade I Alabama Stakes and the Grade II Black-Eyed Susan, one of the Mid-Atlantic’s top races for fillies and known as the second jewel of the filly triple crown. To be a sire to one great horse is quite an achievement, but Tale of the Cat’s offspring won more races
in 2012 than those of any other sire, another example of his prolific
career as a stud.
Green Gratto is a six year old horse bred in New Jersey by Kaz Hill
Farm. Owned by Anthony Grant and Gaston Grant, who also trains the
horse, this dark brown graded stakes winner will attempt to prove that
his morning line odds of 20/1 do not reflect his talent. Green Gratto
gains Kendrick Carmouche in the irons and is from Here’s Zealous –
Starship Smokester, by Smokester.
Though our Mid-Atlantic entry does not quite have a sire like Tale of
the Cat, he still hopes to capture his third stakes victory in the six
furlong Tale of the Cat Stakes.
