Kitten's Joy is well represented in namesake race

Kitten’s Joy will account for a quarter of the field of one of the races named in his honor. Two colts in the field of eight entered in the Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park were sired by the great turf runner. Empire Builder, the first of the two, has two wins in five tries but has not won at the 1 1/16 mile distance required to take the race. Out of the Giant’s Causeway mare Anura, Empire Builder prefers to run off the pace and was last seen finishing 6th in the Dania Beach Stakes at Gulfstream. Scorcher, the second colt, is a maiden winner but is already proven at 9 furlongs. Out of the Unbridled’s Song mare Holly Smoke, Scorcher has shown both speed and the ability to close and is the long shot of the race on the morning line.

 

 

Graham Motion, trainer of 2011 Kentucky Derby winner Animal Kingdom, sends out a pair in Saturday’s race. He will saddle Howe Great and morning line favorite Lucky Chappy (IRE). Howe Great has not finished worse than second in three starts and will likely contest the pace with Cozzetti. The Hat Trick (JPN) colt has a perfect record at Gulfstream. Lucky Chappy has only finished off the board once in 5 tries but does not have a win in the United States. He was last seen finishing 4th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and finished 3rd in the Bourbon in wake of the tragic Here Comes Frazier accident. He is a closer and will trail the field early.

 

 

Italo, Argentine Tango, El Romano, and Cozzetti are the other four starters in Saturday’s Kitten’s Joy Stakes. Italo finished 7th in the Dania Beach Stakes last out and has 2 wins in 6 starts. The With Distinction colt is also proven at 1 1/16 mile. Argentine Tango has only one win to his name but would have two if not for a disqualification in a December Gulfstream race. The Black Mambo colt prefers to stalk the pace but does not have a win at a distance longer than 5 furlongs. El Romano, a Badge of Silver colt, will be at the back of the field with Lucky Chappy. He already has a win at Gulfstream but has not won at a distance longer than a mile. Cozzetti, out of the Lemon Drop Kid mare Lemon Drop Cello, runs best when on or near the lead. In four starts, the colt has one win and was 8th last out in the G1 CashCall Futurity. 

 

 

Lucky Chappy has been installed as the morning line favorite, but I’m giving Howe Great a good look. The speedy colt has won at both 6.5 furlongs and 8.5 furlongs. If he gets clear to the lead or up close, he may very well have his way with the rest of the field. Despite his record, Cozzetti is also worth a look. So far, the colt has raced on turf, dirt, and an all-weather track with his only win coming on dirt. The Cozzene colt has been training well on the grass at Gulfstream, firing off two furlong bullets in his last two works. Scorcher is the big unknown in the race. His dam was unraced, and his sire was a turf runner whereas his damsire was a dirt runner. However, as a son of Kitten’s Joy, both he and his half-brother and fellow starter Empire Builder should not be overlooked.