Kitten's Dumplings tops quartet with top-shelf talent in My Charmer
MIAMI – Four fillies with Grade 1 experience – Kitten’s Dumplings, Sandiva, Lady Lara, and Distorted Beauty – will try to add a Grade 3 victory to their résumé when they square off Saturday at Gulfstream Park West in the $100,000 My Charmer Handicap.
Kitten’s Dumplings is the only Grade 1 winner among the group, having captured the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland during the fall of 2013. She has started just five times since but gave every indication that she is rounding back to top form with her two-length overnight stakes win in her Gulfstream Park West debut Oct. 24.
Trained by Mike Maker for owners and breeders Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Kitten’s Dumplings will share the high weight of 121 pounds in the 1 1/16-mile My Charmer with Sandiva, who raced against Group 1 competition on numerous occasions in Europe prior to shipping to the U.S. and joining Todd Pletcher’s barn during the summer of 2014. The winner of the Grade 3 Suwannee River last winter at Gulfstream Park, Sandiva made her first venture into Grade 1 company in the U.S. in her most recent start, finishing fifth following an unlucky beginning in the Just a Game at Belmont Park on June 6.
Lady Lara finished fourth, a half-length in front of Sandiva, in the Just a Game. She also got the better of that rival here last March in the Grade 2 Honey Fox, registering a neck victory for her lone graded stakes win in the U.S. The stretch-running Lady Lara was compromised by a slow pace when her furious rally fell 1 3/4 lengths shy of victory in the Grade 3 Athenia at Belmont on Oct. 17.
Distorted Beauty is a New York-bred who has done most of her running against open company over the last two seasons. Her lone Grade 1 start came in the Flower Bowl earlier this fall, when she too had her best chances compromised by an unlucky start, eventually finishing far back after recovering to prompt the early pace over a soft course.
Trainer Chad Brown sends out the uncoupled duo of Hellenistic and Hope Cross. Hellenistic exits a second-place effort in the Suffolk Downs Distaff Turf, while Hope Cross makes her stakes debut after rallying to a second-level optional-claiming win at Belmont in her last start.
My Charmer, Race 4
Key Contenders
Kitten’s Dumplings (Last 3 Beyers: 91-88-87)
◗ Her Beyer Speed Figures have continued to head in the right direction since she returned from a 15-month layoff following her ninth-place finish in the 2013 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf.
Sandiva (Last 3 Beyers: 100-96-97)
◗ She will be making her first start since the Just a Game.
“She’s been training as sharply at Palm Beach Downs as she did last winter, when she was on the good run, and all indications are she’s coming back in good form,” said Pletcher. “With this race under her belt, it should set her up for a productive Gulfstream Park meet.”
Lady Lara (Last 3 Beyers: 93-96-94)
◗ Not only did she defeat Sandiva in the 2015 Honey Fox, she also owns a victory over Distorted Beauty, whom she beat by 1 1/2 lengths in the 2014 Pebbles at Belmont Park.
Distorted Beauty (Last 3 Beyers: 89-70-93)
◗ Although she owns six career victories, she has never won a race at the 1 1/16-mile distance of the My Charmer.