Hollywood Park: Katie’s Ten tries turf, two turns in Miesque Stakes

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Ideally, the 2-year-old filly Katie’s Ten would have her first start around two turns in an allowance race, giving her a chance to build confidence before being tried in stakes over a distance.

That was trainer John Sadler’s hope, until such a race failed to materialize. Instead, Katie’s Ten makes her two-turn debut in Friday’s $100,000 Miesque Stakes over a mile on turf at Hollywood Park.

The Grade 3 Miesque will be Katie’s Ten’s first start on turf and first start beyond six furlongs. It is not the toughest spot to try those aspects of racing for the first time. All eight of the fillies entered are eligible for a first-condition allowance race. In a way, Sadler has found his allowance race, albeit one with prestige and a big purse.

“We’ve thought she wanted to run a distance,” he said. “I think she should like the turf, too.”

Owned by Ike and Dawn Thrash, Katie’s Ten beat maidens in her debut in an $80,000 claiming race at Del Mar in August. She did not start again until Nov. 5, finishing fourth after a slow start in the Golden Gate Debutante over six furlongs.

Sadler has two starters in the Miesque, run as the fifth race on Friday’s 10-race afternoon program.

Regal Betty makes her turf debut, having finished sixth in the Grade 1 Oak Leaf Stakes at Santa Anita on Oct. 2 and fifth in the Sharp Cat Stakes at Hollywood Park on Nov. 13. Those races were over 1 1/16 miles.

“She was a lot closer” in the Sharp Cat, Sadler said. “I want to see her on the surface. I don’t think she’s shown her best.”

Only one of the eight entrants is stakes-placed – Raesunbridledfaith, who was third in the Barretts Debutante at Fairplex Park and California Cup Juvenile Fillies in October. Five of the fillies are making their stakes debuts, and four are making their first starts in California.

Island Paradise won an allowance race at Kempton Park in England on Sept. 2 and is the lone foreign shipper. Starship Flare previously raced at Calder, where she won two sprints. Assateague won a maiden race on turf at Keeneland on Oc. 26, while More Than Love beat maidens on turf at Belmont Park on Oct. 9.

Assateague, trained by Michael Matz, led throughout her maiden race win, her third career start.

More Than Love stalked the pace and won her maiden race over 1 1/16 miles by a length. Trained by John Terranova, More Than Love will make her third start Friday, having finished fourth in her debut in a maiden race on turf at Belmont Park on Sept. 16.

“She seemed to make huge progress in her next race,” Terranova said of the maiden race win. “It was a big jump forward from her first race. She has a great mind and does everything well. I’m hoping that the traveling won’t be a problem for her at this stage.”