WinStar's Woodbine whipping boys

Those sons of Bluegrass Cat are doing right well at Woodbine lately.

Good for my slipping entry in the Thoroughbred Times Freshman Sires contest, in which I tabbed Bluegrass Cat to be a success with this, his first crop.

Not so good for my 2010 juvenile sales tips.

On Monday, that sales-tip Class of 2010 suffered its second straight day with a runner-up finish at Canada's premier track to a son of first-year sire Bluegrass Cat. Placing second for the second time in as many lifetime tries was Surprise Strike -- a Stormy Atlantic colt I recommended to a client (who bought a different horse) at Fasig-Tipton's Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training. He was beaten by Bluegrass Dreamer, but held on gamely to save second over Energized.

On Sunday, Rockin Heat (now 4-for-4 lifetime at finishing second, including Grade 3 races on turf and Polytrack) was beaten a half-length by Blue Laser in a four-horse blanket finish in the Grey S.-G3. It was the second time Blue Laser has beaten Rockin Heat, as my Rock Hard Ten-sired sales-tip was second a length to the Bluegrass Cat progeny in a Woodbine maiden special weight back in August.

Both Bluegrass Dreamer and Blue Laser are bred and owned by WinStar Farm, which stands their sire and also campaigns this year's Kentucky Derby winner, Super Saver.

Surprise Strike has now earned $18,273 from two starts. He is owned and trained by Jeremiah C. Englehart, who acquired him after the colt failed to sell at EASMAY, bringing a bid of $34,000 that resulted in an RNA. (That's "Reserve Not Attained," for those who, Google tells me, are occasionally coming to this blog trying to figure out what those initials mean).

While I'll have to keep waiting for Rockin Heat and Surprise Strike to break their maidens, it's hard to consider these results too disappointing.

After all, when the prospects you recommend at the sales are frequently finishing second at a top North American venue, behind only WinStar Farm homebreds, that's probably a sign you were "on" the right kind of horse.

Follow the entire, 187-member sales-tip Class of 2010 at this link.