Turf Paradise: E Z Kitty drops from Grade 2 for Tuesday allowance
E Z Kitty, a three-time stakes winner at Emerald Downs this year at distances ranging from six furlongs to 1 1/8 miles, returns to Turf Paradise and takes a huge drop in class for Tuesday’s one-mile turf feature.
Ambitiously spotted in the Grade 2 Goldikova at Santa Anita two weeks ago, E Z Kitty will face far softer competition in a no-conditions allowance that carries a purse of $23,100. Her five opponents in Tuesday’s fourth race include Rock Hard Bunny, who upset last month’s Queen of the Green at 22-1, and Miss Communication, who returns from a seven-month layoff after winning the first two grass starts she made at Turf Paradise early this year.
Although the 5-year-old E Z Kitty has made 20 of her 24 starts on dirt, her lone victory on grass came locally in the one-mile Sun City Handicap this past February. E Z Kitty’s chances Tuesday depend on how well rider Scott Stevens can get her to ration her speed and whether she gets much early pressure from either Miss Communication or Kind of Naughty.
In the one-mile Goldikova on Nov. 3, E Z Kitty sprinted out to an eight-length lead in the first half-mile in 45.09 seconds, then had nothing left for the stretch drive and faded to last of nine.
Kind of Naughty displayed high early speed in last month’s Queen of the Green, but may have been burned out dueling through a second quarter-mile in 21.93 seconds and did well to retain second coming home in a slow 26.01 seconds.
Miss Communication, claimed for $25,000 in January at Santa Anita, was prominent early in turf wins going 7 1/2 furlongs at Turf Paradise in February and March. It’s hard to tell whether she needs a race after being off since early April. Her trainer, Mike Anderson, has not started a horse in a route on either dirt or turf following a break of 180 or more days dating back to 2010, and he’s 0 for 8 with sprint runners back following a long break.
A hot, contested pace would benefit Rock Hard Bunny, who rallied from sixth in deep stretch to win the Queen of the Green, and Cell Line Forever, who is eligible to improve making the second start of her form cycle.