With four victories in six career turf starts, and finishing in the money in all of those events, Threshold’s Pink Kitten will be pouncing out of the inside gate here at Kentucky Downs, and may just cough up a few hairballs heading to the wire.
- KD Ladies Sprint ( Gr. III )- Purse $500.000
- Kentucky Downs- For Fillies & Mares Three years old and up.
- Six and one half furlongs- Turf course
- Sept. 7th, 2019
Picked up off a $16.000 claiming event, Stu from Threshold has been working diligently to get this sophomore bay out of sire Scott The Great up to stakes caliber. After he won a Clm12.5 in her first event, he entered her in the Gr. II Royal North Stakes up at WO. There she narrowly missed by three one hundreds of a second to the likes of Royal Kunia ( Smokey Stover ) who has been blazing a trail in her career winning all six of her starts while taking home 4 events on the turf. The two will once again do battle in this competition, and possibly Pink Kitten will be able to avenge that defeat, or go one, two once again.
Here’s a look at this group of twelve runners competing for the title;
Weights: Three Years old- 119 Four Years and up – 122
Changes: None
So starting with Mb Stables and his multiple entries of three runners, he will be sending out Helping People ( 2 ), Four Left Feet ( 6 ), and Made It Through ( 12 ). Helping People will probably draw the most attention of this trio based on she has finished in the money in all five of her turf starts, three of them being victories. Granted she has just one win this season which came the last time out in the Daisycutter Handicap going five eights of a mile, but the speed was fast and her closing effort was brilliant. Maldonado stays aboard so he will have her placed well once again. My personal preference would be towards Four Left Feet who in her past five events when she made the switch to the grass, she has three wins and two runner-up finishes. Her most recent was a win in the KD Preview Ladies Sprint affair where she nipped out Credit The Cat ( Midnight Racing ) by a nose in the photo. Definitely a turf lover and should be cashing once again here. From the extreme outside will be Made It Through who will probably have to do exactly what her name suggest, and that is find a hole down the stretch and charge on through to the finish. After racing in four route affairs up until her last effort when she won the six and a half furlong Galway event on the front end, she has yet to compete from the nine hole on out in her career. While she can post some nice work speeds, overcoming the post will be the issue for her.
Seeing as we have covered Pink Kitten, from the three post will fire Maxmillion Farm’s Twinny. The gray four year old has competed in five straight Graded company affairs leading up to this event and is hoping to tuck this event under her garter. She was able to open the season winning the six and a half SSM F/M Turf Sprint race at SA, but has only one win since going a longer distance. There is some fast speed in this affair and that may leave her short with her late running style.
Number four will be worn by Gdp Inc’s Xtra Hot, who after five unsuccessful tries for a victory, and changes to her regiment, a mere shadow roll would bring home a six length victory over a soft Saratoga turf. While the field was just a group of three, it looks to me that her trainer finally figured out what she needed, and she could be the sleeper of the group. Don’t discount too early.
Wearing the green number 5 silks will be Our Athletes Dalitierri Girl. Definitely should be right up on the front or close to a couple of early speedster, and she seems to like that style and try to hold on through the stretch for the victory. Jockey Beschizza has some 72 wins in sprint events, and his best efforts come from the mid posts. Was aboard for her last win in the $200 Caress, so will be looking for the repeat. Has promise.
Number seven will be Levi Sneaky ( Estero Farms ) who had a great close to her juvenile season winning the Stewart Manor, then opened this year with another victory in the Grade III Sweet Life Stakes. Her past two have seen some 1:08 flat race times for the winners, and that has left her just on the edge. There will be two or three runners in this event who will be more then likely posting those kind of times, but she may benefit from the added sixteenth of a mile. Fringe??
D J C Racing Stable’s Cry Out will break from gate number eight. Two starts ago she attempted her first ever try on the grass going a mile in the upper class Gr. I Just A Game against the likes of Alligator ( Maxmillion Farm ) who competes well at the mile distance. Interesting that Dom would chose to send this one back to this surface after a return to the dirt brought home a victory. Her dam’s bloodline is still looking for its first Graded title and though recent works look promising, the speed may get away on her.
Team 7 Illusions will be sending out The Squaw from post nine. Another one of this trainers Cherokee Sunset foals, she placed a length out in fourth place behind Caress winner Dalitierri Girl who is entered in this affair. Has been carrying some top weight in recent events and won back to back affairs ( one being the Gr. II Monrovia Stakes ) over good turf surfaces. Turf will be firm on the day but her times were decent in those two affairs. Bloodline has some winning ways.
The ten hole will be occupied by First Street Stables‘ gray three year old Pidgeon. This trainer has been keeping her positioned north of the border at Woodbine and she is coming off a victory against Alw50.20/N3L going today’s distance. All three of her career wins have come over the sod and her last stakes try was in the $100 Flower stakes where she placed 8th three lengths shy to close out last season. Will definitely see a price on her for this event and is definitely in tough.
From post eleven will be the dominating filly Royal Kunia who just loves to visit the winners enclosure on a regular bases. Has switched over to Bejarano in the irons for this event, and that rider has been on a tear of late when it comes to victories. Her last three SRF numbers have been on the rise going from 89 three starts ago, to 98 in her most recent. If there is any kind of price on this filly, place some money on her because it looks like she is just going to continue her winning ways. Favorite.
Duffer
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
