Breeders' Cup runner Flameaway trying turf again in Kitten's Joy

John Oxley’s Flameaway, a multiple stakes winner on the dirt, will attempt to transfer that form to the grass in Saturday’s$100,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park.

The sixth running of the Kitten’s Joy for 3-year-olds and the seventh renewal of the $100,000 Ginger Brew for 3-year-old fillies, both at 7 ½ furlongs on turf, are among five stakes worth $450,000 in purses on the 11-race program.

They are joined by the $100,000 Mucho Macho Man for 3-year-olds going one mile and a pair of six-furlong sprint stakes for non-winners of a sweepstakes – the $75,000 Limehouse for 3-year-olds and the $75,000 Glitter Woman for 3-year-old fillies.

First race post time is noon.

An Ontario-bred son of Scat Daddy trained by Canadian Hall of Famer Mark Casse, Flameaway won three of five races at 2 including the 5 ½-furlong Skidmore Stakes in August at Saratoga and the 1 1/16-mile Bourbon (G3) in October at Keeneland – both originally carded for the grass.

Flameaway made his turf debut last out in the one-mile Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1) Nov. 3 at Del Mar, pressing the pace for a half-mile before weakening to eighth, beaten just 3 ¼ lengths at odds of 23-1.

“It’s been crazy. We’ve tried to get him in on the grass and never could do it and we finally got him in for the Breeders’ Cup,” Casse said, “and I thought he ran very respectable. I thought it was a good race for him. He’s a nice horse, so I would think he would run well.

“He’s showed good speed,” he added. “He was on the lead in the Breeders’ Cup or right there so I would expect him to employ a similar position. He’s a pretty versatile horse, so I don’t think the cutback in distance will matter.”

The Kitten’s Joy will be the fifth straight stakes try and sixth race at six different racetracks for Flameaway, who debuted with a victory over Woodbine’s synthetic surface last May and also finished sixth in the Iroquois (G3) at Churchill Downs.

“I think experience is a big thing,” Casse said. “I love getting as much experience in my young horses as I can. It’s definitely a plus. He’s got a lot of experience, so we’ll see.”

Julien Leparoux is named to ride from Post 1 of eight at co-topweight of 120 pounds.

Other stakes winners in the Kitten’s Joy are Speed Franco, who romped by six lengths at odds of 13-1 in the one-mile Pulpit Dec. 9 at Gulfstream; Nauti Buoy, a gutsy nose winner of the one-mile Juvenile Turf at Gulfstream Park West two starts back; and Renaissance Frolic, who captured an off-the-turf edition of the one-mile Armed Forces Sept. 30 at Gulfstream.

Stonestreet Stables homebred Power of Attorney steps up to stakes company in the Kitten’s Joy off a front-running two-length triumph in a one-mile maiden special weight over the new Aqueduct turf course Nov. 30.

It was the second start for the dark bay or brown Distorted Humor colt after finishing a distant eighth behind well-regarded Montauk in his Oct. 7 debut at Belmont Park.

“He was a handful his first start. He was a real handful in the paddock and going to the gate but we got there and broke on top or near the lead and was on the lead for the first half a mile in a very, very tough race,” trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said. “We came back and schooled him a lot and worked with him and he was much better second time out. We got to the gate in good shape and he behaved better and won. He’s one-for-one on the turf. We decided to run here, he’s doing well and hopefully he behaves better.”

Power of Attorney shows back-to-back sharp works over the turf course at Palm Meadows, Gulfstream Park’s satellite training facility in Palm Beach County, including a bullet half-mile in 49.30 seconds Dec. 30.

“When he ran poorly first time out we thought he has some pedigree for turf so we thought turf was worth trying and he won well. He’s turf for now,” McLaughlin said. “He’s a nice horse, trains well, beautiful colt. He just needs to behave himself. We’ve done a few things different with him so hopefully he’ll behave well.”

Fast Boat and Todd Pletcher-trained stablemates Mojovation and Pony Up round out the field.  

Source: Gulfstream Park news release