Photo: Adam Coglianese
Breeder Vivien Malloy said yesterday, “Sometimes the stars align” and that was certainly the case for her on Sunday. WinStar Farm’s Hysterical Cat, sired by Bluegrass Cat and bred by Malloy, Malloy’s Edition Farm and Racehorse Management, LLC debuted brilliantly in a two-year-old maiden special weight at Saratoga. The same evening Hysterical Cat’s yearling full brother, bred by the same partnership, sold as one of the top ten at Fasig-Tipton’s New York-bred Preferred Yearling Sale in Saratoga.
First the afternoon. Hysterical Cat, trained by Todd Pletcher and ridden by John Velazquez, went into the five-furlong contest for New York-bred two year olds with high expectations as the 1.70-to-1 favorite in the field of seven. He not disappoint. Alert out of the gate, the bay colt charged to front where he was joined by a speedy Read the Contract under Javier Castellano, bent on dueling the frontrunner. Flashing through an opening quarter of 21.84, the duo opened up six lengths on the field. By the time they came out of the turn, however, Read the Contract had had enough. Hysterical Cat continued to deliver in the stretch, however, at one point opening up as much as five lengths on the advancing eventual runner up, Crea’s Law. After moderating the pace slightly for a quarter in 45.74, Hysterical Cat hit the wire with a 3 ½-length margin of victory stopping the clock after five furlongs over a fast track in 58.26. Sailmate ran third.
Hysterical Cat’s performance made him the second New York-bred to earn a place in NYRA’s select New York Watch series, which profiles up-and-comers that have recently cleared the maiden ranks at Aqueduct, Belmont Park, and Saratoga. His page is located at http://www.nyra.com/nywatch/hystericalcat.html.
WinStar purchased Hysterical Cat privately after the colt failed to meet his reserve with a $72,000 bid at last year’s Saratoga NY Bred Preferred Yearling sale. Racing manager Elliot Walden expects the promising two-year-old only to improve with age and distance, and, according to breeder Vivien Malloy, his biometrics all point toward his becoming a two-turn horse.
Now, flash forward to later that same evening, the second session of the Saratoga New York-Bred Preferred Yearling sale. Hysterical Cat’s little brother (aka Hip 460) entered the ring and ended up commanding the ninth highest price of the two sessions. Property of Edition Farm and consigned by Denali Stud (Craig and Holly Bandoroff) as agent, the bay colt was snapped by Repole stable (leading buyer at the sale with six purchases) for $80,000. Both Hysterical Cat and his younger sibling were foaled and raised at Edition Farm.
In addition to Hysterical Cat, dam Then She Laughs has also produced three-time winner El Scorpio by Vindication who has won three races from seven starts (earning $85,600).
