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Kitten shows her claws in Gamely
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Precious Kitten stretches clear to turn the tables on Rutherienne
(Benoit Photo) |
Lael Stables' PRECIOUS KITTEN (Catienus) pounced on the pacesetting Diamond
Diva (GB) (Dansili [GB]) turning for home and strolled to a convincing 2
1/4-length tally in Monday's $283,000
Gamely S.
(G1).
In the process, she handed trainer Bobby Frankel a record eighth victory
in the event for turf distaffers.Precious Kitten enjoyed a perfect stalking trip in second,
all the while watching Diamond Diva sprint to a daylight lead through frenetic
splits of :22 1/5, :45 4/5 and 1:08 4/5. Nearing the far turn, Rafael Bejarano
gave Precious Kitten her cue, and the dark bay mare smoothly closed in on the
leader. Precious Kitten blew past Diamond Diva in the stretch to stamp her
authority, finishing nine furlongs on the firm turf in 1:45 1/5 to record her
third career Grade 1 tally. The 6-5 favorite returned $4.40, $2.60 and $2.10
while spearheading the $4.80 exacta ($1).
Diamond Diva held on for second, 1 1/2 lengths ahead of the mildly rallying
Rutherienne (Pulpit). The runner-up gave back $3 and $2.20 as the 2-1 second
choice, and Rutherienne yielded $2.10 to show as the third choice, also at 2-1.
It was another 3 1/4 lengths back to the 14-1 Lavender Sky (Mt. Livermore), who
garnered fourth from the 19-1 Solva (GB) (Singspiel [Ire]) in a photo-finish.
Interestingly, the five Gamely contestants finished in accordance with their
respective odds.
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Precious Kitten's previous top-level scores were also achieved in Southern
California, courtesy of the John C. Mabee H. (G1) at Del Mar last summer and the
Matriarch S. (G1) at Hollywood last fall. Her resume includes four other stakes
tallies in the Palomar H. (G2), Mrs. Revere S. (G2), Gallorette H. (G3) and
Martha Washington S., along with seven stakes placings, notably the Cash Call
Mile Invitational S. (G2), First Lady S. (G2) and Jenny Wiley S. (G2) last
season. Precious Kitten was coming off a wide-trip fifth to Rutherienne when
making her seasonal reappearance in this year's edition of the Jenny Wiley. She
now sports a mark of 21-8-8-1, $1,602,088.
The Kentucky-bred was originally campaigned by her breeders, Ken and
Sarah Ramsey. The five-year-old was privately purchased by Roy and Gretchen
Jackson's Lael Stables this winter. Produced from the winning Kitten's First
(Lear Fan), Precious Kitten is a half-sister to Kitten's Joy (El Prado [Ire]),
the 2004 champion turf horse, as well as the multiple stakes-winning
Justenuffheart (Broad Brush), herself the dam of champion Dreaming of Anna (Rahy)
and Grade 2 victor Lewis Michael (Rahy).
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