Horse racing is all about favorites. Everyone has their favorite race horse, jockey, and trainer. Some of the more intense fans even sub-divide these categories, having favorite turf sprinters, dirt milers, Europeans, and so on. And of course, handicapping races is all about the favorites, either liking them or disliking them. On a similar note, we all have our favorite tracks (if pressed, I'd say mine is Santa Anita), we all have our favorite great racehorse of the past (Dr. Fager gets my vote), and we all have our favorite racing moment--although it's probably unwise to get two passionate racing fans started on a topic like that. :)
As far as favorite stallions go, mine is undoubtedly Kitten's Joy. Seeing him succeed so dramatically in this country -- despite being a turf horse with a very grassy pedigree! -- has been very exciting, and I have gotten in the habit of checking the leading general sire list daily to make sure he's still on top. I am so fond of his progeny that I check the entries most every day to see if any are running, and if any are entered in stakes races -- well, watching them could very well be the highlight of the weekend's racing action!
Thus, it is with great excitement that I have watched this year's crop of Kittens progress toward the Breeders' Cup, in hopes of seeing them add further success to their sire's already impressive record. But if you had told me two months ago that Kitten's Joy would have as many as seven runners in the Breeders' Cup, I would have said it was highly unlikely. Yet here we are, less than two weeks out from the Cup, and that is the number of Kittens currently targeting Breeders' Cup races.
For the enjoyment of fellow Kitten's Joy fans, here are brief profiles on each potential Breeders' Cup starter, with their expected Breeders' Cup race in parenthesis:
BIG BLUE KITTEN (Breeders' Cup Turf): His cute name aside, Big Blue Kitten has been more of a lion than a kitten this season, winning the United Nations Stakes (gr. I) and Sword Dancer Handicap (gr. I) during the summer and placing second by a nose in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. I) at the end of September. With a record like that, Big Blue Kitten enters the Breeders' Cup Turf as one of the favorites to win. Trained by Chad Brown, Big Blue Kitten possesses an exceptional turn-of-foot, a showed in the United Nations that he loves the very firm turf he will find at Santa Anita.
BOBBY'S KITTEN (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf): After breaking his maiden second-time out at Saratoga in a spectacular performance, this ultra-talented Chad Brown-trainee contested the Pilgrim Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont Park, where he romped to a breathtaking 6 1/4-length triumph over eight rivals. Possessing the tactical speed to contend from the start, as well as an explosive finishing kick, Bobby's Kitten looks to be a standout contender in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf.
GRANNY MC'S KITTEN (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf): After rallying from well back to finish second by a nose in her debut at Saratoga, Granny Mc's Kitten showed improved tactical speed in claiming the P. G. Johnson Stakes second time out for trainer Chad Brown. In her most recent start, she finished fourth in the Miss Grillo Stakes (gr. III) at Belmont after racing wide and making a strong move to reach contention at the eighth pole. With a better trip, she could definitely contend for a better finish in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, a race won by Stephanie's Kitten in 2011.
KITTEN'S DUMPLINGS (Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf): With eight starts in the span of ten months, Kitten's Dumplings has already had a very busy season. Yet believe it or not, she is showing no signs of slowing down, as her late-running victory in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes (gr. I) implies. Trained by Mike Maker, this full-sister to Granny Mc's Kitten will need a strong pace in the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf to set up her finishing kick, but the ten-furlong distance should suit her just fine.
KITTEN KABOODLE (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf): Although Kitten Kaboodle placed second in her first two starts -- both in maiden special weight company -- this did not prevent Kitten Kaboodle from running as the second wagering choice in Keeneland's JPMorgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (gr. III), which she won by nearly five lengths in a hugely impressive performance. Trained by Chad Brown, Kitten Kaboodle's explosive acceleration should be a major asset in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, where the ability to out-finish the European invaders is key to winning the race.
LIEN ON KITTEN (Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf): Unbeaten in two starts for trainer Wayne Catalano, Lien On Kitten broke her maiden with a powerful late run going a mile on the turf, then unleashed a similarly impressive finish to win the Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes in her most recent start. While the Breeders' Cup will be a big step up in class, Lien On Kitten appears ready for the challenge.
REAL SOLUTION (Breeders' Cup Turf): Since arriving in the United States after beginning his career in Italy, Real Solution has become a force to reckon with in major turf stakes. A narrowly-beaten third-place finish in the Woodford Reserve Manhattan Handicap (gr. I) was followed by a head defeat in the Arlington Million (gr. I), a race in which Real Solution was placed first via the disqualification of the winner. Most recently, this Chad Brown-trainee was beaten a length while third in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (gr. I), flattening out just a bit after looming a potential winner with a furlong to go. With this in mind, the downhill portion of Santa Anita's downhill turf course should play in Real Solution's favor, reducing the stamina requirements of the twelve-furlong race and setting up Real Solution for a stronger finish.
-Keelerman
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