Blue is the color

Stakes victories for progeny of Street Cry, Medaglia d’Oro and Elusive Quality

Blues Street recorded the first half of a Graded Stakes double for trainer Todd Pletcher when justifying favoritism to land the G3 Fair Grounds Handicap by two-and-a-quarter lengths on Saturday.

The six-year-old son of Street Cry was adding to black type earned in the Memorial Day Handicap at Mountaineer and the Independence Day Handicap last year and scored his seventh career win in 21 starts. He has raced just twice in 2010 for two straight victories. Bred by Harriet Finkelstein, Blues Street is out of the Capote mare Capote Blues.

Earlier in the day, Medaglia d’Oro filly Double Espresso became her sire’s 15th Stakes winner with a battling success in the Listed Pan Zareta Stakes. Now the winner of five of her ten starts and having finished in the places on another four occasions, Double Espresso is out of Second Strike (Fast Play) and was bred by McKee Stables Inc.

Elusive Quality’s days spent in Australia have resulted in yet another Stakes winner for him with the victory of three-year-old filly I’m Discreet in the Listed H C Nitchske Stakes at Morphettville in Adelaide, while last year’s champion freshman sire Offlee Wild has another black-type performer to his name following the third place of Offlee Funny in the Listed Valdale Stakes at Turfway Park.