Pulgarcito pads record with minor stakes-placing

A sales-tip colt of mine who was a stakes-winner in the U.S. at 2, on Wednesday picked up a place-finish in a minor stakes race since being shipped to Canada at 3.

PULGARCITO won the Zia Park Governor's Stakes at 2 racing in the colors of Heiligbrodt Racing Stable in the barn of trainer Steve Asmussen. He was claimed from those connections at Oaklawn in April by trainer Murray Duncan and Garylle B. Stewart for $25,000, and the Assiniboia Downs start was his first off the claim.

On Wednesday night for Duncan and Stewart, Pulgarcito was second to long-shot winner U R Burnin Daylight ($39.40) in the $25,000 Golden Boy Stakes at the Winnipeg track. The victor wired the eight-horse field by a length and a half, winning the six-furlong test over a muddy strip in a final time of 1:12.40.

Pulgarcito elevated his career mark to 2-2-1 from nine starts, for $73,095. He was bred in Florida by Edward Seltzer and Murray Durst.

I recommended the (now-) gelding by Greatness-Cat Attack, by Storm Cat, as Hip 849 at the 2010 OBS April sale, where he failed to meet reserve at a bid of $37,000 though he had sold twice before at rock-bottom prices -- $3,000 as an OBSOCT weanling and $3,600 as an OBSAUG yearling. He eventually sold as a juvenile on his second time through the ring, for $40,000 at OBS June, the "last chance" for most 2-year-olds at auction.

It was hard for me to ignore that the fellow was out of a G3 winner and full-brother to a G3-placed turf sprinter, Great Attack, who has earned nearly $170,000.

You can follow all 187 of my 2010 juvenile sales selections in the list at the bottom of this link.