Kimmy Potter finds a soft spot
INGLEWOOD, Calif. - Stretched thin by an autumn stakes glut, the depleted 2-year-old filly division wobbles into the $100,000 Sharp Cat Stakes on Sunday at Hollywood Park.
Only seven entered the Sharp Cat, which is the sixth stakes for juvenile fillies the past seven weeks in Southern California. It follows five stakes during the Oak Tree meet at Santa Anita - the Oak Leaf, Cover Gal, Anoakia, Hidden Light, and Cal Cup Juvenile Fillies. They offered something for everyone - sprinters, California-breds, and turf fillies.
Still ahead are the Moccasin (Nov. 19), Miesque (Nov. 25), and Hollywood Starlet (Dec. 17). By then, California-based Breeders' Cup entrants Cash Included and Quick Little Miss will be home, along with Mistical Plan, runner-up Oct. 29 in the Pocahontas at Churchill Downs.
The division is shallow, which does not concern trainer Gary Stute. His Kimmy Potter won the Black Swan Stakes at Fairplex Park on Sept. 20 and has aimed to the Sharp Cat ever since.
"The whole plan was to give her Oak Tree off and point for this race," Stute said. "I think she's going to run super."
She faces a nondescript field.
Adoradora and Nushka Babee are still maidens; Back in the Shade and Runway Rosie are mere maiden winners; Spenditallbaby is a turf filly; and Beterluckythangood is still seeking her niche.
Kimmy Potter has found hers - running long on dirt. Her development coincided with the Los Angeles County Fair meet, which came after a futile sprint campaign.
"Alex [Solis] was riding her early in the year, and always thought she would be a real nice filly going long," Stute said.
The problem was the lack of distance races. Stute continued to sprint Kimmy Potter, waiting to stretch her out. Michael Baze took over as her rider in summer, and after winning a maiden sprint Sept. 10, they teamed 10 days later to win the 1 1/16-mile Black Swan going away. It was her ninth career start.
"I campaigned her pretty hard going into that race," Stute said, explaining the decision to skip Oak Tree.
When she runs Sunday for the first time in more than six weeks, Stute is confident she will fire first start back.
Kimmy Potter worked seven furlongs Oct. 22 on the Cushion Track, and she came back Friday morning with a three-furlong work.