Versatile Tribal Spy Set for Daisycutter

Precautionary measures that have taken races off the turf course and moved them to Polytrack until Saturday have made Friday’s Daisycutter Handicap something of a misnomer. A “daisycutter” being a racetrack term for a horse with a low running motion especially suited to turf racing.

But with Tribal Spy, the 3-1 opening line favorite, having shown ability on both turf (3-1-1 record in eight starts) and synthetic (3-1-0 in four), trainer Adam Kitchingman is unfazed by the situation. The $90,000 Daisycutter, which drew a field of six, is a 5-furlong sprint.

“She’s worked absolutely awesome on the Polytrack down here and she’s actually better on synthetics than grass, so it didn’t bother me at all,” Kitchingman said.

Owned by Triple B Farms, the 4-year-old California-bred daughter of Tribal Rule has six wins in 16 lifetime starts, the most recent in the Grade III Las Cienegas down the hill at Santa Anita in April. She has been off since a fourth in the Mizdirection over the same course in May.

“There weren’t any races for her so we’ve given her a break. She runs well fresh,” Kitchingman said. “She’s as honest as they come and she’s the most proven sprinter of the (Daisycutter) bunch, so she certainly deserves to be the favorite.”