Tempting Date seeking better trip
Tempting Date was supposed to be in Canada this weekend. But when suitable travel arrangements could not be made to get her to Woodbine for the Grade 3 Royal North, her connections decided to keep her home and point for Saturday night's $50,000 Matchmaker Turf Sprint at Remington Park.
Tempting Date should be favored in the five-furlong race as a multiple stakes winner of $306,818. She will face seven other fillies and mares, including Valid Lil, who is undefeated, and Cintarosa, who won the $100,000 Valid Expectations in May at Lone Star Park.
Tempting Date last raced at Lone Star in the $50,000 Nevill/Kyocera on June 23. She finished a troubled fourth, beaten a length as the favorite in the five-furlong turf sprint, which was won by California invader Indian Breeze.
"Last time was just a disaster from the beginning," trainer Chris Hartman said.
Hartman said Tempting Date was impeded down the backstretch, then found herself blocked in the stretch run.
"The rail never opened up, and she just was stuck all the way down the lane," he said. "The last 50 yards we got out and she came flying.
"She's in good form right now. She's working good and she's strong and she's healthy. She's ready to ramble."
Tempting Date will break from post 3. She figures to be prominent under Ramsey Zimmerman.
Valid Lil has won her four starts by a combined margin of 24 3/4 lengths. The wins all came on the main track this past meet at Lone Star. She will be making both her stakes and turf debut Saturday.
"Turf's the biggest question, I think," said Bret Calhoun, who trains Valid Lil. "I'd just as soon leave her three-quarters on the dirt, just because she's been so successful there. The problem is, there's not any sprint stakes in this part of the country until about October.
"But, you know, she acts like she'll handle anything. She's run on a fast track. She's run on a muddy track. And I have confidence she'll handle" turf.
Valid Lil, who has been prominent in her races, drew post 5. She will be ridden by Eddie Martin Jr.
Cintarosa was third last out in the $125,000 Hallowed Dreams at Louisiana Downs. Luis Quinonez has the mount.