Bluegrass Cat got his ninth stakes horse and third stakes winner of 2013 on Sunday with Percussion battling his way to a nose victory in the $90,000 Albert the Great S. at Belmont Park. Bluegrass Cat currently tops the New York General Sire list with more than $1.7 million in progeny earnings.
Percussion, a 5-year-old bred by Ben P. Walden and Bluegrass Farm Partners in Kentucky, controlled the pace after going to the front right at the outset of the nine furlong trip. After six furlongs in 1:12.85, Percussion had a two-length lead. Fast Falcon came to the leader outside the quarter pole, and those two raced in tandem to the wire, bumping in deep stretch, before Percussion prevailed. The winning time was 1:49.45 over a track rated “good”.
Kentucky-bred Percussion has hit the board in 11 of 23 starts, earning $346,694 for owner Gary Barber. Out of Cradlesong, Percussion is a half-brother to Slew by Slew, winner of Remington Park’s 2006 Centennial S. and placed in three additional black-type events.
