PHOENIX – Friday’s $30,000 Wildcat Handicap on the turf at Turf Paradise presents a new hurdle for its top contenders – distance. Neither Noble Pursuit nor Jacks Outlaw has raced at the 1 3/8-mile distance of the Wildcat, which drew a field of eight 3-year-olds and up. Noble Pursuit, a 6-year-old gelded son of two-time Horse of the Year Curlin, comes off three straight wins for Desert Sun Stables and trainer Robertino Diodoro, the last two on this course. While he faces tougher and must go farther than a mile for the first time, he appears to be peaking and his pedigree helps with the distance question. Jacks Outlaw, owned by Terry Hamilton and Clay Brinson and trained by Brinson, comes off an allowance win at a mile on this course March 5. All three of his wins by the have come on this course, and that’s from four starts. He worked four furlongs here March 25 and five furlongs on April 3. :: Bet horse racing on DRF Bets. Double Your First Deposit Up to $250. Join Now. Popular Kid, owned by George Sharp and trained by Shawn Davis, is winless in 12 starts on turf, but the 7-year-old gelded son of Popular comes off a decent third in the Cotton Fitzsimmons on the grass here March 12. That spot appeared tougher than Friday’s race as the one-two finishers there were both Southern California raiders. Mr. Right Now may be true to his name as the 4-year-old gelded son of Mr. Big comes into this having won three of his last four. Owned and trained by Ryan Bratcher, he did that good work all on dirt going shorter but he’s won on this turf course. He’s in top form and has the speed to be in it from the start.