Island Commish edges clear to take Kitten's Joy

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – A year ago trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. took the $16,000 maiden claiming winner Math Wizard and turned him into a Grade 1 winner less than nine months later. It took him even less time to transform another former claimer, Island Commish, into a graded stakes winner after the steadily improving 3-year-old ran down Get Smokin to register a half-length victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Kitten’s Joy at Gulfstream Park.

Island Commish launched his career racing under a $35,000 claiming tag here on Aug. 3, leading throughout to win by 9 1/2 widening lengths in a race switched from the turf to a sloppy main track. The son of Commissioner entered the 7 1/2-furlong Kitten’s Joy off a pair of popular and one-sided starter allowance victories over the same distance to close out his 2-year-old campaign on the grass at Gulfstream Park West.

With regular rider Paco Lopez aboard, Island Commish sat a perfect trip stalking the pace of Get Smokin, drew even turning for home, and was edging clear under strong handling at the end. Get Smokin controlled the pace while saving ground and held off the ultimate winner through midstretch before proving no match at the end.

Summer to Remember raced forwardly but lacked a sufficient closing response while finishing another two lengths behind Get Smokin. Irish Mias rallied out of last to a striking position on the second turn, fanned four wide into the stretch, but could not sustain the bid and finished a disappointing fourth as the 2-1 favorite in a field of eight newly turned 3-year-olds.

Owned by Matthew Schera, Island Commish completed the distance over a firm course in 1:28.25 and paid $14.60

“He went into the race as good as we could get him,” said Joseph. “I didn’t know if he had the ability to win this kind of race but we thought if we were going to try, now was the time, 7 1/2 is his distance, we took a chance and it worked out.”

As for the future, Island Commish’s victory in the Kitten’s Joy will likely change Joseph’s plans for the rest of the winter.

“We gave him the chance today to see if he could handle this type of company and if he didn’t, we were going back to a starter race next month,” said Joseph. “This changes everything. I think he’ll stretch out. Even though he’s built like a sprinter, I think he can go at least a mile. And Paco has so much confidence in him. I think he actually had more confidence in him going into this race than I did.”