Tempting Date gets top billing

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas - Tempting Date is the one to beat. Yo Fanci is the one to fear. Indian Breeze is the wildcard. Those appear to be the roles of each of the top contenders in the $50,000 Nevill/Kyocera at Lone Star Park on Saturday.

The five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares drew 10.

Tempting Date won an allowance prep for the Nevill/Kyocera here June 7. She tracked the pace in the five-furlong race and went on to a 1o1/2-length win at 2-5. Tempting Date covered the distance over turf course rated good in 56.40 seconds.

"She ran huge last time," said Chris Hartman, who trains Tempting Date. "That was a good race for her, a good prep for this race."

Tempting Date is a multiple stakes winner on dirt. But she is also a stakes winner on turf, having won the $150,000 California Cup Distaff Handicap in November 2005. Overall, she is 4 for 5 in turf sprints, her lone loss coming when she was fourth in an allowance following a one-year layoff last November at Remington.

"I think she's probably better on grass," said Hartman. "Her best numbers are on the grass."

Ramsey Zimmerman has the mount on Tempting Date, who drew post 9.

"She can run on the lead or right off of it," said Hartman.

Yo Fanci makes a couple of moves Saturday. She returns to turf following a troubled third-place finish in the $100,000 Valid Expectations in her stakes debut May 28. Yo Fanci also shortens up in distance off that six-furlong race, and could get a stalking trip under jockey Justin Shepherd.

"I'd like to see her relax and run right off the pace," said Joe Petalino, who trains Yo Fanci.

Yo Fanci came from just off the pace to win her turf debut, a $35,000 optional claimer at Remington last October. Overall, she is 4 for 6.

Indian Breeze flew in from California on Thursday for the race. The winner of the Landaluce at Hollywood Park in 2005, she won an $80,000 optional claimer at Bay Meadows in her last start Dec. 7. The victory made her 2 for 2 in turf sprints. Indian Breeze traveled here for a couple of reasons, said her trainer, Adam Kitchingman.

"She's unbeaten at the distance, and there aren't a lot of those kind of races here in California," he said. "Timing-wise this is a good step to the Daisycutter at Del Mar."

The $85,000 Daisycutter Handicap is at five furlongs on turf on July 26.