Home Run Kitten gets up by a nose in Eddie D

ARCADIA, Calif. - For months, Home Run Kitten ran in turf stakes for 3-year-olds over a mile or farther with mixed results. It turns out he might prefer sprints.

In Friday’s $101,500 Eddie D Stakes at Santa Anita, Home Run Kitten closed well in the final furlong to catch 2-1 favorite Ambitious Brew in the final stride and win the Grade 3 race over about 6 1/2 furlongs on the hillside turf course.

“I think he’s really a come-from-behind sprinter,” trainer David Hofmans said. “This was perfect for him here.”

Hofmans said that Home Run Kitten will be considered for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint here on Nov. 1.

Ridden by Joe Talamo, Home Run Kitten ($23.40) was timed in 1:11.94, winning by a nose. Ambitious Brew finished 1 1/2 lengths in front of 9-2 Lil Bit O’Fun. Pure Tactics was fourth, followed by Artest, Eddie’s First, Mr. Sexy, Snowday, Unbridled’s Note, Gallant Son and Global Power.

Home Run Kitten was last in the field of 11 on the hillside before launching his rally in the stretch.

The Eddie D Stakes was the second stakes win for Home Run Kitten, who won the Singletary Stakes for 3-year-olds over a mile in June. In his only subsequent start, Home Run Kitten was fifth in the Grade 2 Del Mar Derby over 1 1/8 miles on turf.

Last January, Home Run Kiten won a maiden race in his only previous appearance on the downhill course.

Owned by Tarabilla Farms, Home Run Kitten, a colt by Kitten’s Joy, has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $217,600.