Estrapade: Platinum Tiara vs. Vance again

It was two years ago at Churchill Downs that the Dave Vance-trained Caressing beat Platinum Tiara in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies. Vance can get Platinum Tiara again Friday at Arlington, this time with the turf filly Kiss the Devil.

Platinum Tiara and Kiss the Devil were among 11 horses entered for the $100,000 Estrapade, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for older fillies and mares. And even beyond the Breeders' Cup-associated match-up, the race is an interesting one.

Bien Nicole ships in from Remington Park for trainer Donnie Von Hemel, having won consecutive turf stakes at Louisiana Downs and Remington Park. Contrast her recent environment with that of Totally Cosmic, who was racing in Paris earlier this month and makes her first start in North America. Coney Kitty was a close fourth in the Grade 3 Noble Damsel at Belmont Park when she last raced, while Golden Antigua starts for this meet's runaway leading trainer Wayne Catalano. Lady of Peace had no pace at which to run when she checked in third here in her last start, but can deliver a powerful stretch kick at her best.

Platinum Tiara, meanwhile, was reborn as a turf horse many starts after her Juvenile Fillies adventure. Now 4, she has finished third in her last four starts while facing competition that may be superior to that in the Estrapade.

But with Kiss the Devil, Vance may have her number again. Kiss the Devil has rested since she scored a nose win Aug. 31 in the Dade Turf Classic at Ellis Park. She beat a mare named San Dare that day, and that horse has since won a stakes at Kentucky Downs and just missed in another at Keeneland.

A late-developing Kris S. 4-year-old owned, like Caressing, by Carl Pollard, Kiss the Devil always has run well at Arlington, and earlier in the meet scored consecutive open-length allowance wins on this course. Vance is an expert with layoff horses, and Kiss the Devil should be set to fire Friday.

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