Bobby’s Kitten, last seen winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, makes his seasonal debut in Sunday’s co-featured Grade 2 Play the King Stakes, at Woodbine.
Trained by Chad Brown, the Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred roared last to first with an explosive turn of foot to win the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, a 6 1/2-furlong tilt on Santa Anita’s down-the-hill turf course.
“He really ran terrific. I was concerned he was too far back for most of the race, but he showed his heart and talent getting up at the wire,” said Brown.
The Breeders’ Cup win was the first time Bobby’s Kitten had raced at a distance of less than one mile. On Sunday, the multiple graded stakes winner will sprint seven furlongs over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course while making his first start since November 1.
Joel Rosario, aboard for the dramatic Breeders’ Cup score, will ride.
“Given the cut back in distance I hope to see him off the pace. I’d prefer firm turf,” said Brown, who has 22 wins at the current Saratoga meet, good for a tie at the top of the trainer standings with Todd Pletcher.
The Kitten’s Joy bay went into the Breeders’ Cup from a solid third-place finish behind Trade Storm in the Grade 1 Ricoh Woodbine Mile over a turf course rated as ‘good’. With Javier Castellano up, Bobby’s Kitten dueled with Ancil on the front end in the Woodbine Mile, turning for home with a 1 1/2-length advantage. Trade Storm and Kaigun, racing from off the pace, rallied strongly down the lane as Bobby’s Kitten dug in and battled gamely before giving way late.
Whether or not Bobby’s Kitten, who will ship in to Woodbine on Saturday, returns for the $1-million Ricoh Woodbine Mile,, slated for September 13, remains up in the air.
“I’m just taking it one race at a time,” said Brown
And with the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint now a 5 ½-furlong event with the move to Keeneland, a long term goal for Bobby’s Kitten remains to be seen.
A talented field of eight turf stalwarts will burst from the gate on Sunday including defending Play the King champ Kaigun and the in-form Tower of Texas who defeated rivals Platinum Glory and Stacked Deck in the Grade 2 King Edward Stakes on June 21.
Kaigun, a five-year-old son of Northern Afleet, is trained by Mark Casse for owners Gary Barber and Quintessential Racing Florida. The late-running chestnut posted a record of 3-3-0 from 11 starts in 2014 including scores in the Grade 2 Play the King and Grade 2 Seabiscuit Handicap, at Del Mar.
Bred in Ontario by William Sorokolit Racing Stable Inc., Kaigun finished an even fourth in the Grade 2 Arcadia at Santa Anita in January before a six-month freshening. He returned to the turf on July 31 in the Play the King prep and finished third in a race won by Stacked Deck over a rallying Tower of Texas.
The prep for the Play the King, which was raced on firm ground in Lane 5 of Woodbine’s E.P. Taylor Turf Course, played for speed that day dulling the patented late kick of Tower of Texas.
Trained by Roger Attfield for owners Thomas Van Meter II and Scott Dilworth, Tower of Texas has improved dramatically since being gelded in the offseason. The four-year-old Street Sense bay finished third in the Plate Trial in his sophomore season but dropped back dramatically in the Queen’s Plate finishing 14th.
Tower of Texas demonstrated a powerful late kick in his seasonal debut to crush an allowance field and proved the resurgence was no fluke with another rallying effort on May 31 to win an off-the-turf optional allowance tilt. Making his graded stakes debut in the King Edward, Tower of Texas, patiently ridden by Eurico Rosa da Silva, powered up the rail to win by 2 3/4-lengths. The victory earned a lofty 98 Beyer Speed Figure. Da Silva retains the mount.
Stacked Deck, a Bruce Lunsford homebred trained by Barb Minshall, went gate-to-wire to win the Play the King prep under light handling by David Moran. That score marked the second turf win for the First Samurai gelding having previously captured the 2014 edition of the Charlie Barley Stakes with Chantal Sutherland up. Stacked Deck breezed five furlongs in :59.80 on August 15 over the Woodbine ‘Poly’ in his final prep for the Play the King. Moran will ride.
Passion for Action, Platinum Glory, Hot Hot Heat and Reporting Star complete the field.
Sunday’s undercard includes the $125,000 Victoria Park Stakes, a 1 1/8-miles ‘Poly’ stake for three-year-olds headlined by recent Toronto Cup champ Conquest Pacemaker.
Trained by Mark Casse for Conquest Stables LLC, the lightly raced Conquest Pacemaker boasts two wins from three starts. The Eskendereya chestnut graduated in his seasonal debut travelling 1 1/16-miles on the Woodbine green before stretching out to 1 1/8-miles on the turf in the Toronto Cup to score comfortably over the improving Lucky Lindy. The same connections send out Conquest Cobra, a recent allowance winner when sprinting seven furlongs on the main track.
Richard and Nancy Kaster’s U S Marshal, trained by Ian Black, finished sixth in the Toronto Cup. However, both of his career wins have come on the Woodbine main track including a score in the 1 1/16-mile Wando Stakes in April. Moran will ride.
Billy’s Star, fourth in the Queen’s Plate, returns to the ‘Poly’ after finishing third in a turf allowance last time out. Trained by Roger Attfield, the Perfect Soul bay graduated in May when routing on the Woodbine main. Alan Garcia will ride.
Crown Prince, Bring On the Bull and Firespike complete the field.
The Grade 2 Play the King is slated as Race 8, while the Victoria Park will go as Race 6 on Sunday’s 10-race card. First post time is 1 p.m. Fans can watch and wager on all the action via HPIBet.com.
FIELD FOR THE GRADE 2 $200,000 PLAY THE KING STAKES
POST / HORSE / JOCKEY / TRAINER
1 / Stacked Deck / David Moran / Barb Minshall
2 / Tower of Texas / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Roger Attfield
3 / Passion for Action / Emma-Jayne Wilson / Mike DePaulo
4 / Platinum Glory / Omar Moreno / Mike DePaulo
5 / Hot Hot Heat / Alan Garcia / Sid Attard
6 / Reporting Star / Luis Contreras / Pat Parente
7 / Bobby’s Kitten / Joel Rosario / Chad Brown
8 / Kaigun / Patrick Husbands / Mark Casse
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