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Kitten makes a point in Herecomesthebride
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| Kitten's Point hung on over a hidden Tokyo Time to land the Herecomesthebride
(Adam Coglianese Photography/Leslie Martin) |
Although 8-5 favorite Tuttipaesi failed to quicken as expected in Saturday's
Grade 3, $150,000
Herecomesthebride, English-born trainer Graham Motion still came away with a
victory when Kitten's Point posted the mild 6-1 upset under Edgar Prado in the
nine-furlong grass test for three-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park.
Tracking the pacesetting I O Ireland in second through dawdling fractions of
:25 2/5, :51 and 1:15 4/5, Kitten's Point began to apply pressure to that rival
around the far turn, seized a narrow lead at the top of the stretch, and grinded
her way to a neck victory over the inside-charging Tokyo Time. Kitten's Point
returned $15.60, $5.20 and $3.20 after completing the distance in 1:50 1/5 on
firm ground.
"I thought the mile and an eighth would be a big help to her. Actually, Edgar
just jumped off and said he can't wait for her to go a little farther," Motion
said of the George Strawbridge-owned homebred.
"It kind of ran like a stayer's race. I think the difference for the win
between her and Tuttipaesi was that she had the trip and Tuttipaesi never got to
cover up, never got to settle. You'd have to think about a race like the (Grade
1) Ashland (at Keeneland on April 6). I wish it was a mile and an eighth because
she's run well on the synthetic. Definitely, I'll have to think about that."
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Tokyo Time, the 9-5 second choice, had 1 1/4 lengths on Tittipaesi at the
wire. It was another 1 3/4 lengths back to Coffee Clique, who was followed by
Caroline Thomas and I O Ireland. Withdrawn from the race were Frege, With Sugar
On Top and the main-track-only entry Sweet Shirley Mae.
Kitten's Point came from 10 lengths down to register a debut win at Presque
Isle Downs last September, winning the six-furlong Tapeta dash by 2 1/2 lengths.
A nose second in the Grade 3 Jessamine at Keeneland in her turf debut next out,
the chestnut then broke slowly from post 1 in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile
Fillies Turf at Santa Anita and remained near the back of that congested field,
finishing 12th of 14. She reappeared for her sophomore bow in a Gulfstream
allowance February 2, finishing 1 3/4 lengths second to Coffee Clique. Her
record now stands at 5-2-2-0, $161,115.
A Pennsylvania foal by Kitten's Joy, Kitten's Point was produced by the
Kingmambo mare Rendezvous Point, a half-sister to Grade 2 victor Five Star Day.
Those two are also half-siblings to the dam of Grade 2 winner High Finance.
This extended family includes the recently deceased $2.8 million-earner
Marquetry, who was a four-time Grade 1 winner, and his Group 2-winning
half-sister Spain Lane.
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