Turf Paradise: Krazypapaya ships in from Southern California

The filly Krazypapaya did not make it to the races until just about two weeks before she turned 4 this past January. Through nine career starts, all on turf in Southern California, she owns just one victory. A change of scenery to Turf Paradise could be just what Krazypapaya needs to break through for her second lifetime win.

Even though she will be racing above her eligible conditions in Tuesday’s allowance feature, Krazypapaya appears fast enough to handle her seven rivals in a one-mile turf race that goes as race 7 at 3:05 p.m. Mountain. The $16,300 race is restricted to fillies and mares who have never won three races.

The Beyer par for Tuesday’s class level is 74, a figure that Krazypapaya has matched or exceeded in four of her last five starts. She will be making the second start of her current form cycle after rallying from last of nine to finish fourth, beaten just 2 1/2 lengths, in a first-level allowance for California-breds at Betfair Hollywood Park on Nov. 11.

Eric Kruljac, the owner-trainer of Krazypapaya, has had good success with the horses he has brought to run on Turf Paradise’s grass course. Over the past two seasons, Kruljac is 5 for 16 (31 percent) with a healthy $2.82 return on investment with his turf runners at the Phoenix track. That figure includes a 3-for-5 record with shippers.

In addition, Kruljac is 3 for 10 with a $2.58 ROI with horses making their second start off a layoff in a turf route.

Krazypapaya’s stiffest competition may come from another mare formerly trained by Kruljac, the 5-year-old Vonn Nez. She won two turf races at Turf Paradise for Kruljac at last season’s meet but was claimed out of a runner-up finish for $6,250 by trainer Valerie Lund on Nov. 26. The past two years, Lund is 4 for 14 (29 percent) with a $4.04 ROI with horses making their first start off a claim back within 30 days. In six previous starts at Turf Paradise, Vonn Nez has been part of the exacta four times.

Cu At Sunup is back at the same level where she finished second at 25-1 three weeks ago. A 4-year-old filly trained by Joe Toye, Cu At Sunup has essentially paired up her last two Beyers (67-65), which often produces a peak performance in younger horses with room to move forward.