Retired Kathy looks to stay unbeaten on turf

Retired Kathy ran just well enough on the dirt for her connections to keep racing her on that surface. But when trainer David Van Winkle put her on the turf, Retired Kathy raised her game significantly.

After winning both of her starts on turf, Retired Kathy, a Minnesota-bred daughter of Firing Line, seeks a third straight win on the grass Wednesday in a starter allowance/optional $32,000 claiming race scheduled for one mile that serves as the feature on the nine-race Tampa Bay Downs card.

Though Retired Kathy had three siblings who won on turf, Van Winkle noted that Retired Kathy didn’t have “a very good turf number” – referring to the Tomlinson figure published in Daily Racing Form.

“I didn’t know if she’d like it or not,” he said. “She acts like she loves it.”

On March 13, Retired Kathy, despite a wide trip, won a $32,000 claimer by 4 1/4 lengths. Two weeks later, Retired Kathy, again with a wide trip, won the same condition that she runs in Wednesday by 1 3/4 lengths. Retired Kathy was one of four next-out winners from that March 13 race, though the other three horses who won were dropping in class. In her March 27 victory, Retired Kathy beat two horses – Let’s Go Koko and Expecting a Victory – who she faces Wednesday.

“She’s training really good into this race, I think she’s going to give a good effort,” said Van Winkle, who has eight wins from 66 starters at the Tampa meet.

Retired Kathy figures to be second choice behind Ashima, who trainer Jose D’Angelo ships over from Gulfstream Park after running second in a similar condition as this March 31.

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In that race, Ashima was following eventual winner Boomin’ Belle, but that one got the jump on Ashima who could never catch Boomin’ Belle and had to settle for second, finishing 6 1/4 lengths clear of the rest of the field.

Prior to that, Ashima had made three starts over Gulfstream’s Tapeta surface, with two wins and a fourth-place finish.

“When she ran on Tapeta I really liked her, but after her last race I thought she was going to be better on the turf,” said D’Angelo, who has won 30 races at the Tampa meet, good for second behind Kathleen O’Connell. “I think the grass at Tampa is perfect for her. She looks good there. I think she’s going to be so, so tough.”

Samy Camacho rides Ashima from post 6.

Sadie the Great, trained by Carlos David, was third in the same race in which Ashima finished second. In her previous trip to Tampa, Sadie the Great won this condition in an off-the-turf scenario.

Ninetyninecarats and Momma Kim, and possibly Musthavebeenlove, look like they will supply the speed in this field.

Expecting a Winner ran a respectable third to Retired Kathy on March 27 in what was her first start going long and on turf.

Lets Go Koko won a maiden $32,000 claimer on turf and has since run second twice, including on March 27 to Retired Kathy.

Musthavebeenlove, trained by O’Connell, is stepping up in class off a fourth-place finish going a mile in her first try on turf.

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