Kissing Frogs should love return to shorter distance

ELMONT, N.Y. – A mile and a quarter may have proven too far for Kissing Frogs in her most recent start. Her previous efforts going shorter make her a contender in Sunday’s second-level allowance feature at Belmont Park scheduled for 1 1/16 miles on the inner turf course.

Kissing Frogs was a forward factor, first chasing the pace, then dueling on the lead down the backside in this same condition going 1 1/4 miles here April 23. By the time the field turned for home, Kissing Frogs was done and she finished last of seven. Kissing Frogs won both of her previous starts at 1 1/16 miles.

“She’s been doing well since her last race, she had a nice breeze the other day,” said Leana Willaford, Belmont-based assistant to trainer Bill Mott.

Kissing Frogs breaks from the outside post under Junior Alvarado in what figures to be a seven-horse field after the scratch of main-track-only entrant Dublinornothin.

The horse to beat may be Kalifornia Queen, who turns back in distance, drops in class, and gets Lasix and blinkers for the first time Sunday. The German-bred daughter of Lope de Vega won a Group 2 in Germany. In two starts this year in the United States for trainer Chad Brown, Kalifornia Queen finished sixth in the Grade 3 The Very One going 1 3/16 miles at Gulfsftream and fourth in the Grade 3 Bewitch going 1 1/2 miles at Keeneland.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Belmont Park Clocker Report

Platinum Paynter was the pacesetter in the Plenty of Grace Stakes at Aqueduct, where she held on for second, and the Grade 3 Beaugay here, where she hung on for third against Harvey’s Lil Goil. She is likely to get pace-prompting from La Dragontea, who won a first-level allowance at 1 1/4 miles on the front end here May 7 for trainer Christophe Clement.

Bramble Bay, Jezebel’s Kitten, and In a Hurry complete the field.