Eden Grey's Kitten may show speed in turf-sprint feature

A stakes-less Saturday card at Fair Grounds has a pace-less turf sprint as the third-race feature.

The seven horses entered for turf show 79 running lines in their past performances, and a mere two of those lines indicate a first-call leader. The race is crying out for an aggressive rider to take the early advantage, and maybe the connections of Eden Grey’s Kitten will send him Saturday.

Holding up Eden Grey’s Kitten didn’t work last time. One of four horses in the second-level optional $40,000 claiming race exiting race 8 on Jan. 21, Eden Grey’s Kitten was bet down far below fair value while moving up in class from a half-length first-level allowance win to this second-level allowance condition, and surely his backers were displeased seeing Eden Grey’s Kitten last of nine running down the backstretch behind a moderate tempo. The Louisiana-bred 4-year-old Eden Grey’s Kitten came between horses in upper stretch but made up no late ground, finishing eighth while beaten less than two lengths for third.

Trained by Steve Flint, Eden Grey’s Kitten is one of the two horses in the race who show a first-call lead in their past performances, and when Eden Grey’s Kitten went to the front in his career debut, he led all the way and won by more than 10 lengths. The gelding’s full talent didn’t get expressed last time, and maybe a change in tactics would wake him up.

The horse to beat, apparently, is Whiskey Bravo, who won that Jan. 21 race by 1 3/4 lengths at odds of 9-1. Why nearly double-digit odds? Because Whiskey Bravo was raised in claiming price from $17,500 to $40,000 and regularly had been thumped at this class level while sprinting on turf last season. Can he do it again Saturday? Possibly, but his price is going down, and the clean outside stalking trip Whiskey Bravo got last time probably isn’t happening from post 2.

Cha Mono was second to Whiskey Bravo as the horses near the modest early gallop dominated. He’s a candidate to lead, too, but has failed to win in six turf starts. Nite of the Hunter was third behind Whiskey Bravo and Cha Mono last time but almost certainly needs a longer distance to be most effective.