Bluegrass Cat’s Zayda proved best in the $50,000 Seattle Slew H. July 17 at Emerald Downs, his second consecutive stakes win at the Washington racetrack. The 3-year-old colt won the $50,000 Pepsi Cola H. on June 26.
Bluegrass Cat is in the top 10 among all second-crop sires with progeny earnings of nearly $1.3 million.
Zayda came from last in a field of 12 to roll home a 2 1/4-length winner in the 1 1/16 mile Seattle Slew. He had to go widest of all around the far turn, going from tenth to reach the lead about a furlong from the wire, then drawing off late under Leslie Mawing.
“My main concern in this race was the traffic because it was such a big field,” said Mawing. “I had to move a little earlier than I wanted just to make sure I didn’t get into any trouble. I knew there was a lot of speed in the race. My horse was just free running on the backside. He was already gaining on the field before I even asked him. At the three-eighths pole I asked him a little bit and he just took off. I had so much horse under me, and he has such a humungous stride. He was a true professional today.”
Zayda raised his record to 3-0-1 from eight starts, earning $81,690. He is the first foal out of Winter Solstice and was bred in Kentucky by Hentrick/McCarthy Livestock LLC.
