My Boy Tate goes for No. 6 in Tale of the Cat

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Fifteen horses were nominated to today’s $100,000 Tale of the Cat Stakes. Only five have been entered but they include four horses who are coming off wins at the six-furlong distance.

My Boy Tate is the prohibitive favorite at 6-5. After running decently in his first three outings, the New York-bred son of Boys at Toscanova has reeled off five straight victories – the last three over off tracks – most recently in the six-furlong Hollie Hughes Stakes at Aqueduct. The Tale of the Cat is My Boy Tate’s first start in six months. It is also his first start versus open company.

Silver Ride, who will be making his stakes debut, is next at 5-2. The 6-yearold Candy Ride gelding has compiled a 5-2-3 record from 18 starts but is only 1-for-6 at six furlongs. Silver Ride comes into today off a win in an optional claimer at the distance on June 22. The race was his first in 13 months.

Always Sunshine (3-1), a six-furlong specialist, runs back off a 3¼-length score in the Hockessin Stakes a month ago at Delaware Park. The 6-year-old son of the Forty Niner stallion West Acre has considerable stakes experience, including a score in the Maryland Sprint Handicap (G3) two years ago.

Mr Crow (4-1) seeks class relief after fading late in the Grade 1 A. G. Vanderbilt Handicap here on Jul 28. The Tapizar colt has been an inconsistent sort but is Grade 3-placed and owns a 2-2-0 record at six furlongs.

Pop the Hood (10-1), another New York-bred, is also running in his first addedmoney race. The 6-year-old Street Cry gelding has considerable experience at six furlongs (3-1-2 in six outings) and tries stakes company after beating winners for the first time in an opening-level allowance at Belmont on July 8.