Christmas Kid at crossroads

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Christmas Kid is already a stakes winner on both turf and dirt. The versatile filly should give trainer James Jerkens a pretty good idea in which direction she'll head with her performance in Saturday's $150,000 Bonnie Miss Stakes, the marquee race for 3-year-old fillies during the Gulfstream Park meeting.

Christmas Kid, a daughter of Lemon Drop Kid, has won 2 of her 3 starts on grass, including Calder's Tropical Park Oaks on New Year's Day. She then switched back to the main track and won the one-mile Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes by four widening lengths here on Feb. 10.

"She's already proven she can win going two turns on the turf," said Jerkens. "But she still has to show she can do it on dirt. That can be a concern, although I'm pretty confident she'll handle a mile and one -eighth on Saturday just fine."

Jerkens said if she does run well, he would consider keeping Christmas Kid on dirt and putting her on a path towards a possible start in the Kentucky Oaks in the spring.

Christmas Kid, a homebred owned by Edward Evans, is one of two fillies Jerkens entered in the Bonnie Miss, along with the undefeated Fee Fi Fo Fum. They are uncoupled in the wagering. A daughter of Giant's Causeway, Fee Fi Fo Fum also comes off the grass after winning her debut by three-quarters of a length going 1 1/8 miles here on Feb. 2.

"We put Fee Fi Fo Fum in to take a look at the race, and if it came up a short field there is a possibility she could run here," said Jerkens. "If not, there is an allowance race for her in the condition book for Sunday."

The Bonnie Miss drew a field of eight, including Lisa M, High Again, Miss Tizzynow, Lost Etiquette, Naseem, and Swift Temper.

High Again chased Christmas Kid home in the Davona Dale after winning two starts at a mile. Trained by Bill Mott for the Zayat Stables, High Again will be reunited with jockey Cornelio Velasquez, who was aboard for both her victories.

Lisa M had an eventful trip when third in the Davona Dale. She also finished third behind Christmas Kid, after encountering trouble, in the Tropical Oaks.

"I don't know if my filly is good enough to beat Christmas Kid, but if she runs her best race and the other filly has an off day you never know," said David Kassen, who trains Lisa M for owner-breeder Larry Bielfeldt.