Our Blue Streak Stable's Bug Juice, a
two-time stakes winner against New York-breds as a juvenile, will
attempt to pick up his first win as a 3-year-old when he faces
statebreds in the $100,000 Mike Lee on June 26.
Following
his victories in September's Aspirant and October's New York Breeders'
Futurity at Finger Lakes Racetrack, Bug Juice finished sixth as the
favorite in November's Grade 3, 1 1/16-mile Delta Jackpot at Delta
Downs, his first start beyond six furlongs. He has made one start so far
in 2011, dueling for the lead and giving way late when third by a
length in the six-furlong Tom Ridge over Presque Isle's artificial
surface on May 18.
"I thought it was good for his first
start on synthetic," said trainer Bruce Levine. "He hung a little at
the end, but I thought it was a good race."
Levine said
the seven-furlong Mike Lee might be beyond Bug Juice's range, but also
isn't sure his disappointing effort in the Delta Jackpot was a result of
the distance. from having to ship from New York to Louisiana, of the
gelding having possibly regressed at the end of his five-race juvenile
campaign.
"I'm not sure about seven eighths or how far
he wants to go," said Levine. "He's built more like a sprinter. We tried
him long once [in the Delta Jackpot]. Maybe he was trailing off in that
race and we shipped, but he's built of kind of like a sprinter. We'll
see if gets the seven, and if he does we'll try stretching him out."
The
Mike Lee is the first race of the Big Apple Triple for New York-breds,
which also consists of the 1 1/16-mile New York Derby at Finger Lakes on
July 16 and the 1 1/8-mile Albany at Saratoga Race Course on August 24.