Bayou Cat and Rodney Prescott gave trainer Tim Eggleston a first Wednesday in the 24th running of the $150,000 To Much Coffee Stakes at Indiana Grand.
Eggleston, who trains both Quarter Horses and Thoroughbreds, has several Quarter Horse Stakes wins to his credit, but Bayou Cat is his first Thoroughbred stakes victory.
Starting from post nine on the rain-soaked track, Bayou Cat (photo) and Prescott rolled right out for the lead and obtained the top position before they hit the turn in the one and one-sixteenth mile event. The four-year-old son of Turbo Compressor sat comfortably on the lead to the top of the stretch before Prescott asked the gelding for more speed.
In the stretch, Bayou Cat pulled away from the field, winning by two and one-quarter lengths at the finish. Hard Luck Justice and Sammy Bermudez held steady for second over Strong Tide and Florent Geroux for third.
It was the second straight win for Bayou Cat, who paid $18.40 to win. The To Much Coffee Stakes is his first attempt at stakes action and his first stakes win for breeder-owner Cathi Jones.
“When they were at the quarter in 24 cruising along, I thought he was in good shape,” said Eggleston regarding Bayou Cat’s performance. “He always has a lot in the tank, and he loves to fight for the win.”
Bayou Cat scored the sixth win of his career and has been ridden to victory in all six of those starts by Prescott, who is the state’s all-time leading jockey. Prescott moved to nine wins away from his 4,000th career win Wednesday with Bayou Cat.
“We sat back and watched how the races were playing out today and when it started to rain, Rodney and I talked and figured it was best to go out for the lead,” added Eggleston. “That’s what he did and didn’t look back. Rodney did an awesome job and had a great plan. I also have to thank Jordan (Hash). He does a great job taking care of this horse.”
Eggleston, a native of Michigan, is stabled at Indiana Grand. Last year, he relocated to Easter Farms in Scottsburg, Indiana, where they keep a lot of their horses year round.
