Kombat Kitty looks sharp off debut win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Kombat Kitty made a favorable impression in her only outing, and will be looking to stay perfect in Friday’s fourth race at Woodbine, a 6 1/2-furlong allowance for 2-year-old fillies.

Kombat Kitty came three wide from a stalking position to win a five-furlong maiden special Aug. 21 over next-out winners Duettina and Street Prize. For covering the distance in 58.51 seconds, she was awarded a Beyer Speed Figure of 66. She has worked three times in the interim, including a half-mile breeze Sept. 24 in 47 seconds, the fastest of 21 moves at the distance.

Trainer Ian Howard will give Justin Stein a leg up on Kombat Kitty, who is a half-sister to stakes winners Katy Kat and Yaddo Cat, along with the stakes-placed Kombat Kat.

Street Prize woke up in her second start Sept. 10, when she led throughout a six-furlong maiden special, over a course that favored closers. She breezed a quick half-mile leading up to this engagement.

The other contender in the six-horse feature is Action Nine, who has been sidelined since winning her second start over $40,000 maidens July 23. She could have a favorable stalking trip after breaking from the outside post.

Perhaps the most interesting event on the nine-race card is the seventh, a 1 1/16-mile route for $32,000 claimers that has lured several classy veterans.

True Metropolitan, Canada’s champion older horse in 2006-07, is looking for his first victory since taking the Grade 3 Eclipse Stakes here in June 2008. He was only an early factor in his last outing, which came in a stakes on the dirt at Northlands Park.

Alezzandro, the champion 3-year-old in Canada in 2007, finished second and third in his last two starts, a pair of optional claimers on the dirt at Fort Erie. He has not competed on a synthetic track this year.

Pure Attitude should be a factor in the seventh, since he won an identical race Aug. 29 after running three wide over an inside-biased track. Omaggio, who is also in the field, had everything his own way on the lead before giving way late to Pure Attitude.

The sway-backed 9-year-old Salty Langfuhn is another possibility in the seventh. He finished a close second in his two most recent races, both over seven furlongs, and is moving out to a distance over which he is quite accomplished.

The sprinter Major Marvel is capable of outrunning Omaggio for the lead, which should ensure an honest pace.