Courageous Cat - The Poker (G3)
1,509 views · Published 10 June 2011 · 1:55 · Indexed 8 November 2026
Channel: The New York Racing Association · 2011 · Sports
Heavily favored Courageous Cat made his 2011 debut a winning one for Mott as he wore down longshot Yield Bogey in the stretch to win the Grade 3, $100,000 Poker by 2 ¼ lengths. Under a confident ride by Jose Lezcano, Courageous Cat ran in second as the 7-year-old Yield Bogey opened up a sizeable lead down the backside through a quarter-mile in 24.63 seconds and a half-mile in 49.77. Reeling in the pacesetter approaching the far turn, Courageous Cat ranged up on the outside at the top of the stretch and took command with a furlong to go. His time for the mile was 1:36.69 over a Widener turf course labeled "good." "He sat in a good spot, and I waited for as long as I could," said Lezcano. "I wasn't worried about [Yield Bogey]. I let him go and waited to make my move." It was the first start for the 5-year-old son of Storm Cat since he finished third behind Gio Ponti in last October's Grade 1 Shadwell Turf Mile at Keeneland. The Shadwell Turf Mile was only the third start of 2010 for Courageous Cat, who won the Grade 3 Canadian Turf in February and subsequently finished ninth in the Grade 1 Dubai Duty Free at Meydan in March. "Any time they come off a layoff and run that well, you've got to be pleased," said Mott. The 4-5 favorite, Courageous Cat returned $3.60 for a $2 win bet and won $60,000 for his breeders and owners Pam and Martin Wygood. Overall, he is 5-2-2 from 12 starts with earnings of $781,300.
