Nicks expects Kitty's Pretty to move forward in Sharp Susan Stakes
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Kitty’s Pretty has reason to move forward Sunday, when she takes on probable favorite Let Them Watch in the $65,000 Sharp Susan at Gulfstream Park.
The feature, which is for 2-year-old fillies, will be run at six furlongs. A field of seven is set to start, including Ellis Park maiden winner Kiss and the Jena Antonucci-trained Avellino.
Kitty’s Pretty was a debut winner June 16 at Gulfstream Park. She was always prominent for a 5 3/4-length win in a maiden special weight sprint. For the effort, Kitty’s Pretty earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 66.
“She was 75 percent ready and won easily anyway,” trainer Ralph Nicks said.
Since the start, Kitty’s Pretty has logged four more works. The moves include a smart half-mile in 48 seconds on Aug. 5.
“I think she’s very talented,” Nicks said of Kitty’s Pretty. Let Them Watch “ran very fast. She’s probably the favorite. We’ll probably be second choice.”
Nicks said he likes the bit of added distance Kitty’s Pretty picks up as he sees her as a runner who will move forward with more ground.
“I think as she stretches out and keeps going farther, it will fall into her wheelhouse,” he said.
Nicks wins at an above-average rate with 2-year-olds and trained Caledonia Road, the Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly of 2017. He’s had five 2-year-old winners at the current meet through Thursday.
“I’ve think we’ve got a solid group overall,” Nicks said of the barn’s latest group of 2-year-olds. “We’ve got a lot of later-in-the-year kind of horses.”
Nicks trains Kitty’s Pretty for her breeder, Stonehedge. The Florida-bred daughter of Khozan defeated open company in her debut. She will break from post 3 under Edwin Gonzalez.
Let Them Watch will break from post 6 under Hector Diaz Jr. She won her debut wire to wire, defeating Florida-breds by more than six lengths July 7 at Gulfstream Park. The Beyer Speed Figure of 74 that Let Them Watch earned is the best career number in the Sharp Susan.
Let Them Watch is a daughter of Maximus Mischief owned by Case Chambers. Her dam, My Rolex, was a winner at 2 and has produced a Florida Sire Stakes winner in It’s High Time, who won the Desert Vixen and has earned more than $200,000.
Mike Maker trains Let Them Watch.
Avellino was an eight-length maiden winner at Gulfstream for Antonucci, the trainer of Belmont Stakes winner Arcangelo.
Kiss earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 71 for her maiden special weight win at Ellis. She led throughout to win the five-furlong race by a neck on June 10. Kiss had made one start since and was part of a pressured pace in the Prairie Meadows Gold Lassie before finishing fifth in the sprint stakes July 9. Edgard Zayas has the mount from post 7 for trainer Juan Alvarado.
Epona’s Hope came from just off the pace to win her debut in a maiden special weight June 9 at Gulfstream Park. She might get an ideal trip just off the speed Sunday for trainer Eddie Plesa Jr.
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