Stephanie’s Kitten owed some luck in Diana
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Stephanie’s Kitten has won 9 of 21 starts, including three Grade 1 stakes, but when it comes to Saratoga, she’s been somewhat snakebitten.
Yes, she won the Grade 2 Lake George here in 2012, but she has lost three other graded stakes here by a combined 1 1/4 lengths. That includes the last two runnings of the Grade 1 Diana, a race Stephanie’s Kitten will attempt to add her to résumé on Saturday when she meets six rivals in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.
Stephanie’s Kitten is coming off a fourth-place finish in the Grade 2 New York Stakes at Belmont on June 5. She was supposed to have some pace help in the form of stablemate Kitten’s Queen, but jockey Eric Cancel nursed that mare on the lead and actually wound up finishing a neck in front of Stephanie’s Kitten, ridden by John Velazquez.
On Saturday, Kitten’s Queen is back in this field, and though she races as an uncoupled entry, her purpose will be to set a quick pace for Stephanie’s Kitten.
“We’re going to try to set it up a little better than it worked out in the New York,” said Chad Brown, who trains both Kittens for Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
Jose Ortiz replaces Cancel on Kitten’s Queen. Irad Ortiz Jr. replaces Velazquez on Stephanie’s Kitten.
Stephanie’s Kitten has had an outside post in four of her last six starts, including last year’s Diana, when under Frankie Dettori she was three to four wide throughout and ended up beaten a neck by Somali Lemonade. She also was wide in a five-horse field when third to Laughing in the 2013 Diana. On Saturday, she breaks from post 2.
“She ran really well in the Diana last year,” Brown said. “Hopefully, she’ll run a similar race without trouble. She deserves to win.”
My Miss Sophia, a Grade 2 winner on dirt, showed good speed when winning a nine-furlong turf race at Belmont Park on June 5.
Hard Not to Like has finished first in four or her last five starts, though she was disqualified from first in the Endeavour Stakes at Tampa. She is coming off a Grade 1 win in the Gamely at Santa Anita on May 25. Velazquez rides on Saturday.
Waltzing Matilda, who is in foal, won the New York Stakes. She was subsequently sold to St. Elias Stable and transferred to Tom Albertrani. This is expected to be the final race of her career.
KEY CONTENDERS
Stephanie’s Kitten (Last 3 Beyers: 90-88-100)
◗ In addition to being caught behind a slow pace, Stephanie’s Kitten was wide throughout when beaten a length in the New York.
◗ Brown noted that Stephanie’s Kitten missed a race in between the March 7 Hillsborough and the June 5 New York.
Hard Not to Like (Last 3 Beyers: 95-89-89)
◗ The only time she did not finish first in the last two years was when she contested the pace in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley in April at Keeneland.
◗ With Kitten’s Queen and My Miss Sophia in the field, she should get an honest pace to close into.
My Miss Sophia (Last 3 Beyers: 96-78-74)
◗ May have found new life on turf with a visually impressive second-level allowance win in her turf debut.
◗ Her trainer, Bill Mott, is a four-time winner of the Diana, including three straight wins from 2005-07.
◗ Mott also sends out Lady Lara, another late-running sort who would benefit from a contested pace.