We Miss Artie reverts to turf in Kitten's Joy

In the Juvenile, he bobbled at the break before settling in along the rail while

awaiting room near the half-mile pole. Steered wide in the stretch by jockey

Javier Castellano, We Miss Artie made a bid before tiring to seventh though

beaten only four lengths.

"I actually thought he ran pretty well in the Juvenile," Pletcher said. "It's

a tough race. He loomed up in the middle of the turn like he had a shot and he

just leveled off a little bit, but it was a good effort."

We Miss Artie has breezed four times since the Juvenile, given a break from a

December 1 breeze to his bullet half-mile work in :47 1/5 at Palm Meadows on

January 7, the fastest of 76 horses. Most recently, he went a half in :49 on

Monday.

"The horse has been training really well," Pletcher said. "We tried to

freshen him up a little bit and he seemed to respond to it. His last few breezes

have been quite good."

Pletcher has also been pleased with the way We Miss Artie, the program favorite,

has developed from his juvenile season, as well as his versatility.

"Physically, he's doing well," he said. "He's gained some weight, he's filled

out and he's making that physical transition you like to see one make from two

to three. It's great. You can point for races on the turf and not have to worry

if they come off. At the same time, you know he's good on the turf and his best

race so far was on the synthetic, so we have a ton of options."

"I was a little baffled by his second race because he ran very well the first

time," Hennig said. "The second race was kind of a strange performance. He was

kind of on the outside that day and never got into the mix, and it was like he

just got lost out there. I was looking for a positive sign in the last race that

I hadn't overestimated him, so I gained some confidence back in that last race

and I'm hopeful that he did, too."

Jockey Joel Rosario rides Cabo Cat, who has had two solid works since the Dania

Beach, including a bullet half-mile last Sunday in :47 2/5 at Palm Meadows.

"He's been doing real well," Hennig said. "I hope he runs to his training,

because he's acting like a horse that is sitting on a good race."

Drover Road, who dead-heated with Medal Count at odds of 53-1 in a January 12

allowance over the course, wheels back on just a week's rest here.

The respective top three from a Gulfstream allowance on December 14 -- Rope a

Dope, Scoria and Enthrone -- renew rivalry. The Christophe Clement-trained

Scoria adds blinkers after his furious late rally, where he came up a

half-length short of catching Rope a Dope. Enthrone has raced in the interim,

winding up a distant sixth in the Gulfstream Park Derby on dirt, and figures to

be happier back on turf for Allen Jerkens. Go Go Romeo takes a class hike off

his Tampa Bay Downs maiden win, Daddy's Kid makes his first start for Reid Nagle

off a $35,000 maiden claiming win, and Pachanga Party is entered for main track only.

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