HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Though he has won stakes on turf and dirt, Noted has shown to be superior on the grass. Coming off a narrow victory in the Pulpit Stakes here on Dec. 9, Noted will get a little more distance to work with when he kicks off his 3-year-old campaign in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The Kitten’s Joy is run at 1 1/16 miles whereas the Pulpit was run at 7 1/2 furlongs. Both races are contested around two turns. Noted and Kitten’s Joy entrant Agate Road are trained by Todd Pletcher, who has won the last two runnings of this race and three editions overall. Mike Repole is all or part-owner of both horses. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports In the Pulpit, Noted was bottled up behind horse and was still seventh of 10 at the eighth pole. Widest of all inside the final furlong he ran down the leaders to win by a neck. “I didn’t think he was going to get up from where he was at the eighth pole,” Pletcher said. “He kicked into high gear late and got there. He bided his time and found a spot and once he did he had a good turn of foot.” Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Noted from the outside post in this nine-horse field. Agate Road, who won the Pilgrim last fall at Aqueduct and was fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf, finished second behind front-running winner Tocayo in the Dania Beach here on Jan. 6. “Just got too far back behind a paceless race,” Pletcher said. “Closed well, he just had too much to do.” Jose Ortiz rides Agate Road from post 4. Deadpan, a son of Distorted Humor, figures to be coming from off the pace under John Velazquez. He rallied from last to be third, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in a first-level allowance on Jan. 13. “Jose [Ortiz] breezed him for us and loved him and he rode him in an allowance race and I thought he rode him with a lot of confidence,” said trainer Mark Casse, who added that Ortiz was committed to ride Agate Road in this race. “I’m hoping he’s our next Webslinger.” Webslinger is a multiple stakes winner and earner of $1.1 million. Tocayo sprung a 13-1 upset over Agate Road in the Dania Beach, taking advantage of being the lone speed in a field that scratched down to six. The horse was trained by Rodolfo Sanchez-Solomon but will run in this race for trainer Steve Klesaris. Sanchez-Solomon, a former assistant to Klesaris, is based in Maryland. After the Dania Beach, the decision was made to leave the horse in Florida with Klesaris. Before the Dania Beach, Tocayo finished eighth, four lengths behind Noted, in the Pulpit, a race in which Tocayo was hard-used to try and make the lead from post 10. “I don’t believe that this horse needs to be in front,” Klesaris said. “In the last race we had four defections, it was a six-horse field where he was the lone speed and you saw the pace. This will be a better test for him, I’m sure the pace will be more legitimate Saturday.” Luis Saez will ride Tocayo for the first time. First World War returns to turf after a runner-up finish behind Otello in the Mucho Macho Man on dirt. First World War finished fourth, beaten 1 1/2 lengths, in the Grade 2 Bourbon on turf last October. Hammerstein, Edgartown, Quokka, and Freedom Principle complete the field. Sweetest Chant The Irish-bred Milliat, a fast-closing second to Ozara in the Wait a While Stakes on Dec. 9, tops a competitive field of eight 3-year-old fillies entered to run 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 3, $175,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes on turf. As is the case with many European fillies making their United States debut, Milliat was off slow and last of 10 in the Wait a While. She came with a long, sustained rally that fell just a neck shy of Ozara, who came back to win the Ginger Brew Stakes in her next start on Jan. 6. “It’s typical of a European to break a bit slow because they don’t go as quick early in Europe, we knew that going in,” trainer Jack Sisterson said. “Can you correct that before the race? Probably so, but that’s putting a lot of speed into a European that probably doesn’t need it. We were very happy with that performance. I think she’ll improve from that and have a bright future.” Saez rode Milliat in the Wait a While. Oisin Murphy rides her Saturday because he is the contract rider for Qatar Racing, which owns Milliat. Murphy wasn’t at Gulfstream in December but is riding here now through February. Saez has picked up the mount on Pharoah’s Wine, who, when last seen on turf, finished second to Buchu in the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland in October. Pharoah’s Wine won a maiden race at Kentucky Downs from a more forward position than she had in the Jessamine. “She will be here too, I think,” trainer Dale Romans said. “She’s trained super down here.” Golden Ghost has won her last two races, one at Del Mar and one on Tapeta at Gulfstream, for Casse. Life’s an Audible, trained by Pletcher, is coming off a second to Ozara in the Ginger Brew. Madame Mischief was fourth in the Ginger Brew and fifth in the Wait a While. Dynamic Pricing, Macagna, and Style Points are all coming off maiden victories in their most recent starts. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? 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