Kadar should enjoy drop into allowance ranks

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Mike Maker has a dozen nominees to the Grade 3 McKnight next Saturday at Gulfstream Park, so he can probably spare a horse or two for different spots.

To that end, a 4-year-old named Kadar has been diverted off the McKnight noms list and into a turf allowance that anchors an 11-race card here Sunday. The $51,000 first-level turf race marks his first start against older horses following a promising – but somewhat hard-luck – 3-year-old campaign in which he raced mostly in stakes.

“He’s a very gifted horse that hasn’t enjoyed the kind of racing luck you’d like to have,” said Maker, who has won the last three renewals of the McKnight and could have as many as three starters in the 52nd running on the Pegasus World Cup undercard. “But he keeps making progress, and we’re expecting a big effort from him again.”

Irad Ortiz Jr. has the call on Kadar in the ninth race, scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the turf. Ten are entered, including one main-track-only designate, but only as many as nine are likely to start, given the Sunday forecast for sunny skies.

Owned by a Phoenix Thoroughbred partnership, the Kentucky-bred Kadar raced twice in England before returning to his native country and into Maker’s care. Using a late kick that has become a hallmark, the Scat Daddy colt was third in a three-way photo in his U.S. debut in a mid-July allowance at Saratoga.

After seventh-place finishes in back-to-back million-dollar races at Saratoga and Belmont Park, Kadar was beaten just a nose in the Gio Ponti in late November at Aqueduct. He then was fifth in his first try over the Gulfstream turf in the Dec. 28 Tropical Turf.

“You’d have to think dropping from all those stakes will help,” Maker said.

Kadar will be looking for a fast early pace to facilitate his stretch punch, and he might well get it in the form of a fresh Largent, a first-time gelding with two solid starts, both for Todd Pletcher, and longshot Everyonelovesjames, who makes his first start under the care of Joe Catanese. Other likely factors include a second Pletcher entry, Bourbon in May, a More Than Ready colt entered off back-to-back triumphs versus lesser company at Aqueduct.

The feature is part of the Rainbow 6, which spans races 6-11 and is expected to offer a pool guarantee of at least $3 million, assuming the jackpot was not emptied Friday or Saturday by a solo winning ticket. First post is noon Eastern.

◗ Racing will be held here Monday because of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, with a 10-race card starting at 12:35. Gulfstream then will be dark Tuesday and Wednesday.