Spotlight Performances

SPOTLIGHT PERFORMANCES

JULY 14, 2005

by James Scully

LAST SAMURAI (Pulpit) made his first start at a route on Saturday and finally

broke his maiden, recording a 5 3/4-length triumph over maiden special weight

opponents going 8 1/2 furlongs at Belmont Park. Trained by Nick Zito, the

three-year-old gelding now owns a 1-1-0 mark from four starts and appears to

relish longer distances. He's also bred for the turf as a half-brother to

three-time Grade 1 turf hero Solar Splendor (Majestic Light) and Grade 3 grass

winner Strategic Mission (Mr. Prospector). Last Samurai hails from the Grade

2-winning Sultry Sun (Buckfinder), who is also the dam of $1.6 million earner

and sire Sultry Song (Cox's Ridge), winner of the 1992 runnings of the Hollywood

Gold Cup (G1), Woodward S. (G1) and Whitney H. (G1).

DIABOLICAL (Artax), a $300,000 OBS February two-year-old in training

purchase, showed fast works for his career bow and crushed his nine rivals on

the front end last Thursday at Belmont, winning a 5 1/2-furlong maiden special

weight event by 9 3/4 lengths. Favored at even-money, the Steve Klesaris trainee

went right to the front and extended his margin at every call, finishing his

final sixteenth in less than six seconds while earning a 108 BRIS Speed rating.

The chestnut colt looks like a major player for upcoming two-year-old stakes

races.

SAOIRSE CAT (Storm Cat) made short work of three rivals over a sloppy track

on Friday at Belmont, leading wire to wire for a five-length score in her first

lifetime start. Out of the Canadian champion mare Saoirse (Cure the Blues), the

juvenile filly is a half-sister Hide and Chic (Seeking the Gold), who earned her

first stakes victory two starts back and finished second by a nose in Sunday's

Azalea Breeders' Cup (G3) on Calder's Summit of Speed program. Saoirse Cat

appears very quick and will likely make her next appearance in a Saratoga stakes

event for conditioner Bill Mott.

TURKISH CAVALRY (Victory Gallop) improved his overall mark to 4-3-0-1 with a

6 1/4-length romp over allowance foes on Sunday at Churchill Downs. The Wally

Dollase-trained four-year-old received a 106 Speed rating in the 1 1/16-mile

event and is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Sharp Lisa (Dixieland Band).

UNBRIDLED SIDNEY (Unbridled's Song) is now three for three on turf following

a stellar 6 3/4-length triumph in Saturday's Zenobia Empress H. at Churchill

Downs. Trained by Ronny Werner, the four-year-old filly established a new course

record (:55 2/5) and earned her second straight century-topping (105) Speed

rating. Unbridled Sidney is out of the unraced Baltic Sea (Danzig), dam of top

sprinter and $3.1 million earner Caller One (Phone Trick) and Grade 2 victor Prospect Bay

(Crafty Prospector).

JOHNNY RED KERR (Mr. Greeley) broke through with his first career win last

Thursday at Hollywood Park, winning a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight turf

affair by a length. Runner-up in his first two starts this season, the Laura de

Seroux-trained five-year-old now shows a 8-1-3-2 career line, his last seven

coming in turf routes. A half-brother to champion sprinter Orientate (Mt.

Livermore), Johnny Red Kerr has never even started in a sprint.