Smitten by Kitten gets a third chance on turf

ARCADIA, Calif. – The disconnect between Smitten by Kitten’s superior turf pedigree and inferior turf record might be coincidence. If so, surface switch is a non-factor in the first of two statebred allowance races Friday at Santa Anita.

Smitten by Kitten faces impressive maiden winner Self Isolation in race 7, a turf mile for Cal-bred fillies and mares. In race 8, Pray for My Owner returns from a nine-month layoff as the likely favorite in a dirt sprint for Cal-bred fillies and mares.

Mark Glatt trains the principals in both races. Smitten by Kitten will try to reproduce her dirt-sprint form in a turf route; Pray for My Owner will try to reproduce her 2021 form while making her first start in nine months.

Smitten by Kitten is by Kitten’s Joy and produced by a Dynaformer mare, yet her turf pedigree contradicts her two turf starts – last in her debut, next-to-last in a comeback. She has won two of three since switching to dirt, yet Glatt forgives her subpar turf races.

“In her debut, she went over the dirt [crossing] awkwardly, and ended up hurting some ribs,” the trainer said. Smitten by Kitten did not race for 10 months, and finished next to last in her comeback in a maiden turf sprint. But she only lost by 3 1/4 lengths at five furlongs.

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“The comeback race was just a bit short for her; she kind of ran even,” Glatt said. “I think the race was better than it looks on paper.”

Her next three starts were on dirt, including maiden and Cal-bred allowance wins. If Glatt is right, that Smitten by Kitten’s subpar turf form is circumstantial and she can run long, she will be competitive Friday. Her main rival faces winners following a maiden romp.

Self Isolation needed seven tries to finally win, but her maiden win in a turf mile was just her second route. She made the lead, ran her final quarter-mile in a respectable 23.74 and won by more than seven. If she runs two alike, Self Isolation can win again.

Race-8 contender Pray for My Owner has not raced since June, but Glatt said: “She’s coming into it well. She is training well.” The challenge is pace. “There might be some other speed in there is the only thing,” Glatt said.

Pray for My Owner’s three starts with Lasix were relatively fast – a maiden win, and a pair of in-the-money finishes in Cal-bred sprints. She will be treated with Lasix on Friday, and can win if she shakes loose from pace rivals Shanghai Sunrise and Luxury Liner.

All Dialed In and Rose Maddox will rally against the speed-friendly track profile. The last 24 dirt sprints at six furlongs were won by horses positioned in the top three.