Kitten's Joy | Horse Racing Free Tips

‘TDN Rising Star’ New Year’s Eve Upends Edgewood

First-time blinkers did the trick for 'TDN Rising Star' New Year's Eve, who uncorked a very impressive last-to-first rally to upend Friday's GII Edgewood S. on the Churchill turf.

A head-turning debut winner Dec. 10 at Fair Grounds over three next-out graduates, the blaze-faced chestnut added a narrow optional claiming tally there Jan. 29. She was bounced around in the stretch of the Mar. 12 Allen Black Cat Lacombe S. back in NOLA Mar. 12, and had to settle for third that day at 9-5.

More or less ignored here by the wagering public despite the equipment tweak and switch to hot-riding Luis Saez, New Year's Eve traveled slightly awkwardly past the stands for the first turn and around the bend, but eventually settled in at the caboose behind splits of :24.07 and :48.64. She caught the eye when given her cue to quicken into a six-furlong split of 1:13 flat, and continued to inhale rivals while out in the clear approaching the stretch. Looming large over the top, she blew them away from there to defy the odds.

“She relaxed really well,” said Saez. “I was able to save ground around the first turn. I came out a little after a half-mile because I saw horses in front stopping. At the top of the stretch, she was in the clear and boom. She was loving it. I could feel how happy she was.”

Walsh added, “She's been just a bit slow mentally. But she's getting it bit by bit. So we gave her some time to figure things out, then we gave her a push. We put blinkers on her for her last two works and she seemed to pick it up a bit. I was quietly confident that she'd be better today. And she was.”

Friday, Churchill Downs
EDGEWOOD S. PRESENTED BY FORCHT BANK-GII, $500,000, Churchill Downs, 5-6, 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:43.39, fm.
1–NEW YEAR'S EVE, 118, f, 3, by Kitten's Joy
   1st Dam: Awesome Rafaela (Brz), by Elusive Quality
   2nd Dam: Linda Rafaela (Brz), by Bin Ajwaad (Ire)
   3rd Dam: Poli Arumba, by Executioner

'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($110,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $105,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT). O-Marc Detampel; B-Stud TNT LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh; J-Luis Saez. $294,500. Lifetime Record: 4-3-0-1, $353,600. Werk Nick Rating: C. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–McKulick (GB), 118, f, 3, Frankel (GB)–Astrelle (Ire), by Makfi (GB). (180,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Essafinaat UK Ltd (GB); T-Chad C. Brown. $95,000.
3–Dolce Zel (Fr), 120, f, 3, Zelzal (Fr)–Dolce Attesa (GB), by Dr Fong. O-Madaket Stables LLC, Michael Dubb, and Robert V. LaPenta; B-Scuderia Micolo Di Nicola Galli & C. SNC (FR); T-Chad C. Brown. $47,500.
Margins: 2 3/4, 4HF, HF. Odds: 14.60, 2.30, 2.00.
Also Ran: Kneesnhips, Beechnut Trophy-(DH), Dream Lith-(DH), Tap Dancing Lady, My Philly Twirl, Spicer, An Agent Mistake.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

Pedigree Notes:
New Year's Eve becomes the 53rd graded/group winner for Kitten's Joy and his third winner of the Edgewood. Elusive Quality is the broodmare sire of 40 graded/group winners in the Northern Hemisphere, and 25 more south of the equator.

The winner's dam was a two-time winner in Brazil and is half to Brazilian Group 1 winner and U.S. GISP Viva Rafaela (Brz) (Know Heights {Ire}). She has a 2-year-old colt named Will Take Cash (Will Take Charge) who was a $42,000 KEESEP buy by J. Kirk and Judy Robison. Barren in her subsequent mating, Awesome Rafaela was carrying a Volatile filly (born Mar. 5) when purchased by Fergus Galvin–an advisor to New Year's Eve's owner Marc Detampel–for $95,000 at Fasig-Tipton's Kentucky Winter Mixed Sale in February.

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Aligato Steps Up For Glatt In Unusual Heat Turf Classic

In his first stakes assignment and first time around two turns, the Mark Glatt-conditioned Aligato wheeled four deep turning for home and unleashed an impressive turn of foot to take Saturday's $200,000 Unusual Heat Turf Classic Presented by City National Bank at Santa Anita to win going away by 1 ¾ lengths. Ridden by Flavien Prat, the 5-year-old gelding by Kitten's Joy got a mile and one eighth on turf in 1:48.29.

Unhurried while fifth, about six lengths off dueling leaders Whooping Jay and Ferrariano in a field of seven leaving the half mile pole, Aligato began to close in three furlongs from home and had the leaders measured mid-way around the far turn.

“We always thought he would improve when we had a chance to go further with him,” said Glatt. “It wasn't the most ideal circumstances today, but I think that just shows you how good of a horse he is. He's just a very good horse, particularly for a Cal-bred. He's a natural two-turn horse, which helps when you're stretching one out.

“We kind of trained him up to it. We had a different plan getting here to the Unusual Heat Turf Classic, but unfortunately, the rain kind of dismissed that plan, so I called Double L (owners) and told them that we had to kind of train up to it or run him two weeks ago six furlongs. So, I said, 'Well at least it will be a good workout.' I'm very happy for the owners, they've given me a nice to train and we'll see that happens next time.”

Owned by Double L Racing and bred in California by Bob Liewald and Joe Mishak, Aligato, who is out of the Rock Hard Ten mare Pretty Hard, closed much ground to be second, beaten a nose in a six furlong turf allowance on Jan. 1 and was off as the second choice at 3-1, returning $8.40, $4.80 and $3.40.

“He broke okay, but I was expecting him to show a bit more speed early on which he didn't,” said Prat, who was aboard for the first time today. “Later on I was travelling well and when I got him to the outside, he kicked home well. I thought it was an impressive race because it is always hard to go from six furlongs to a mile and one eighth. It was a great race.”

Never worse than third in four prior turf sprints, Aligato improved his overall mark to 5-2-1-2 and with the winner's share of $110,000, he increased his earnings to $177,440.

Attentive to the early pace while third at the rail heading into the first turn, Golden Gate Fields-based Camino Del Paraiso rallied gamely for second money, finishing a nose in front of Ferrariano. Off at 8-1 with Ricky Gonzalez, Camino Del Paraiso paid $6.80 and $4.40.

Ridden by Abel Cedillo, Ferrariano was also off at 8-1 and paid $5.00 to show while finishing 2 ¼ lengths better than Luvluv.

Whooping Jay, the 2-1 favorite with Joe Bravo, tired through the drive to finish last by 5 ¼ lengths.

Fractions on the race were 23.81, 48.05, 1:12.32 and 1:36.64.

The Turf Classic, carded as race six, was the second of five stakes for California-bred or sired horses on a 10-race Cal Cup day program.

The post Aligato Steps Up For Glatt In Unusual Heat Turf Classic appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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Baltas Hunting For Grade 1 After Luck’s Impressive Victory In Robert J. Frankel

Ridden confidently, LNJ Foxwoods' homebred Luck, whose dam is a half sister to the legendary Goldikova, rallied with ferocity leaving the quarter pole and easily took Santa Anita's Grade 3, $100,000 Robert J. Frankel Stakes on Saturday under Flavien Prat, winning in-hand by 3 ¼ lengths. Trained by Richard Baltas, Luck, a 5-year-old mare by Kitten's Joy, got 1 1/8 miles on turf listed as “good” in 1:48.26.

Next to last at the rail leaving the clubhouse turn, Luck was unhurried in the run up the backside but Prat stepped on the gas mid-way around the far turn and she wheeled five-deep at the top of the lane en route to easily gaining command a furlong out and providing Prat with his fourth win on New Year's Day. He would go on to win two more, completing his day with victories aboard As Time Goes By in the G3 La Canada and Riding With Dino in the final race of the day, an allowance/optional claiming event.

Second, beaten a pair of heads in the G3 Red Carpet Handicap and the G1 Rodeo Drive Stakes on Nov. 25 and Oct. 2, Luck, in her fourth stateside start for Baltas, was off as 4-5 favorite in a field of seven older fillies and mares and paid $3.80, $2.80 and $2.10 in what was her first graded stakes win. Out of the Caerleon mare Gold Round, Luck is now 8-4-3-0 and with the winner's share of $60,000, she has earnings of $208,470.

“She's a very special filly,” said Baltas. “She got beat the last time because of the slow fractions. They weren't going too fast today, but she ran liked we knew she was capable of running. We are thankful to have a filly this good and thank the ownership of Jaime Roth and LNJ Foxwoods for this great opportunity. … We have to start looking at a Grade 1 race sooner or later for her.”

English-bred Bodhicitta, who sat third early, outdueled multiple G1 winner Mucho Unusual by a nose for second and paid $6.20 and $3.20 with Kent Desormeaux up at 7-1.

Ridden by John Velazquez, Mucho Unusual made the lead very briefly at the furlong pole and just missed the place, while finishing 2 ¾ lengths in front of pacesetter Moraz. Off as the second choice at 3-1, Mucho Unusual paid $2.40 to show.

Fractions on the race were 24.38, 49.26, 1:12.50 and 1:36.71.

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Kitten’s Joy Filly Catapults to Rising Stardom

Marc Detampel's New Year's Eve (Kitten's Joy) was overlooked at 11-1 in this career bow, but that won't happen in her next start after a good-looking graduation at Fair Grounds Friday. Squeezed out by her neighbors at the start, the chestnut raced near the back of the pack through opening splits of :24.41 and :50.24. Swung out to the center of the course in the stretch, New Year's Eve unleashed a furious late rally, sling-shotting past her competition to win going away by 1 1/2 lengths. Missoni (Flintshire {GB}) filled the place spot.

Awesome Rafaela also has a yearling colt named Will Take Cash (Will Take Charge). She visited Volatile earlier this year. The winner's second dam is Brazilian Group 1 winner Linda Rafaela (Brz) (Bin Ajwaad {Ire}), who also produced G1 Brazilian Oaks winner Viva Rafaela (Brz) (Know Heights {Ire}).

8th-Fair Grounds, $40,000, Msw, 12-10, 2yo, f, 1mT, 1:41.68, fm, 1 1/2 lengths.
NEW YEAR'S EVE, f, 2, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Awesome Rafaela {Brz}, by Elusive Quality
2nd Dam: Linda Rafaela (Brz), by Bin Ajwaad (Ire)
3rd Dam: Poli Arumba, by Executioner
Sales history: $110,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP; $105,000 Ylg '20 FTKOCT. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $24,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Marc Detampel; B-Stud TNT LLC (KY); T-Brendan P. Walsh.

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