Bluegrass Cat’s 3-year-old colt Teeth of the Dog dueled the entire way of the 1 1/16-mile, Grade 2 Dwyer S. to prevail by a neck in the $200,000 contest June 30 at Belmont Park. The victory marked the second consecutive stakes win for the bay colt, following his 3 3/4-length score in the $100,000 Easy Goer S. three weeks ago, also at Belmont. Bluegrass Cat is the nation’s fourth-leading third crop sire, with over $1.9 in progeny earnings. Teeth of the Dog, the leading earner of 2012 for his sire, is one of seven North American stakes horses by the 9-year-old stallion.
Teeth of the Dog got little respite during the Dwyer. Locked in a duel with Zetterholm and Morgan’s Guerrilla for the first six furlongs, which went in a quick 1:09.91, Teeth of the Dog put those two away in upper stretch only to be confronted by Fast Falcon at the furlong marker. The even-money favorite had more to give, digging in determinedly to stop the timer in 1:41.34.
“When (Fast Falcon) came to me, he was game,” said winning rider Joel Rosario. “He kept fighting and gave 100 percent.”
“He’s a pretty darn game horse, that’s for sure,” said conditioner Michael Matz. “He ran a real nice race, and I’m proud of him. This is a class horse.”
The victory, his first in a graded stakes, lifted Teeth of the Dog’s record to 3-1-2 from seven starts, including a third in April’s Grade 1 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct Racetrack. The winner’s purse of $120,000 pushed his earnings to $326,250 for owner Jose Singer.
Matz said possibilities for Teeth of the Dog include Saratoga’s Grade 2 Jim Dandy S. on July 28 or the Grade 2 West Virginia Derby at Mountaineer Racetrack on August 4.
