Kiss Moon could return to Arlington for Pucker Up

Kiss Moon could return to Arlington for Pucker Up

Kiss Moon was an authoritative winner of the first Hatoof division over the course (Four Footed Fotos) Lost in the jubilant buzz of Arlington Million Day XXXII and the shock of Hardest Core’s unexpected feel-good story come true was a race a mere half-hour later which featured a stakes performance more than worthy of note. The second division of the $75,000 Hatoof Stakes at Arlington was expected to be a competitive affair, but Carl Pollard’s Kiss Moon put such to rest in midstretch with a burst of acceleration and then comfortably kept Curtis Green’s charging Maria Maria at bay. Since that performance — which earned her a substantial 105 BRIS Speed rating — the filly has recovered well, according to conditioner David Vance, and is probable to return to Arlington International Racecourse for the traditional follow-up to the Hatoof, the Grade 3, $150,000 Pucker Up next Saturday. “She’s doing fine,” Vance reported. “She had a little work Sunday and will have another this Sunday or Monday and then we’ll wait a little and see what the best thing is to do. We want to see what happens between the (Pucker Up) and (the Kentucky Downs Ladies Turf also on Saturday), but that’s for older horses. I’m hoping for less horses and firmly believe you increase your chances in a smaller field, and there might be less horses at Arlington than Kentucky Downs. We’ll probably enter both spots.” Well regarded enough earlier this year to run in the Kentucky Oaks, in which she finished last of 12, the versatile Kentucky-bred daughter of Malibu Moon was an excellent second in the Fantasy Stakes at Oaklawn Park prior to that on the dirt and a winner on Polytrack first out at Turfway Park last December. Previous to her Hatoof win, she was a dull sixth in the sloppy off-the-turf Indiana Grand Stakes and was a troubled fourth (promoted to third) behind Wayne Catalano-trained adjudged winner Aurelia’s Belle in the grassy Regret Stakes in June at Churchill Downs. James Miller’s Aurelia’s Belle initially finished second, was elevated to the win and is also aiming toward the Pucker Up.

“She had a couple bad luck races with this and that going wrong,” Vance said.
“At Churchill (in the Regret), my mare got the worst of that race and got turned
sideways when Catalano’s filly got bothered too. There’s not much of a
difference between the two of them. Throw out the Indiana race. I thought she
would handle the mud, but she sure didn’t. She’s more strictly turf now and she
ran a big race last time and got a big number.”

As to the veteran trainer’s next move with his star filly, he is tentatively
leaning toward a return trip.

“I prefer to run against three-year-olds around
two turns,” he explained. “(Jockey Robby) Albarado might only be able to ride
her at Kentucky Downs, though, but might make the trip to Arlington — we’re not
sure yet. We finally found a jockey who understands her and knows how to ride
her.”

With so many variables hindering on the decision process, there is one constant: if Kiss Moon returns, she will have the stage to herself with the only stakes
race of the day and final graded event of the meet. A move forward in form
for the filly could be the catalyst for even greater accomplishments in months
—
and seasons — to come.

“If everything is right for her, she will run nine furlongs as well as 8
1/2,” Vance said. “Catalano’s (Aurelia’s Belle) and Stidham’s fillies (Stellaris
and Helen Kathleen) will be tough and it’ll be a tough race. We’ll only have one
or two more starts before the end of the season and everything has to fall into
place, but my filly will be ready to run on the 13th.”

Aurelia’s Belle was given a nice rest after a stylish victory in the
Arlington Oaks over the Polytrack, a victory which was
her third in graded company following the Regret and a facile win in the Bourbonette Oaks
on Turfway’s Polytrack. Only worse
than third once in eight tries, the daughter of solid sire Lemon Drop Kid would
be the expected slight favorite.

Second to Aurelia’s Belle in the
Arlington Oaks and subsequently an excellent runner-up in the Del Mar
Oaks is Tom Van Meter and trainer Mike Stidham’s Stellaris. Aimed at the
Pucker Up since her wide and awkward trip at Del Mar, the daughter of Harlan’s
Holiday has shown improvement with every start of her career and seems to be
entering her second grass attempt in fine shape.

Stidham also trains Gary Biszantz’s
lightly raced and long-winded Helen Kathleen. A daughter of Candy Ride who
has faced her elders in all four starts and won her last two races — her only
attempts on the grass — Helen Kathleen has won both of those Arlington events
without fully extending herself. Her last effort, at the Pucker Up’s 1
1/8 miles, was very impressive and indicative of a filly who will revel in
races at or beyond said trip. Also lightly raced and dangerous in this
spot would be the Graham Motion-trained Final Redemption. Recently second
behind highly regarded multiple stakes winner Miss Frost in the Tenski Stakes at
Saratoga, the Narolla Stable-owned daughter of Hard Spun won her debut one race
prior in a zippy 1:09 4/5 for six grassy furlongs at Belmont Park and should take
well to the nine furlongs of the Pucker Up.

The highly competitive renewal
of the Pucker Up is also likely to draw the winner of the Hatoof’s first
division, G. Watts Humphrey Jr.’s Annulment, whose final time of 1:44 4/5 was a
full two seconds slower than Kiss the Moon’s for the 1 1/16 miles. A hard-trying, game and improving filly trained by Vicky Oliver,
Annulment
won a blanket finish with four other fillies in the earlier division by a scant
nose and should appreciate the increase in real estate to 1 1/8 miles. Oliver has
confirmed that the Pucker Up is her filly’s goal.

Two very live outsiders who both
finished second in the aforementioned Hatoof divisions are Mark Stanley’s
Tempers Flair and Curtis Green’s Maria Maria. The former stepped up from a
maiden victory at Ellis Park for conditioner Dale Romans to run a big race
behind Annulment, losing by the smallest of noses. Maria Maria ran
lights-out in her third grass attempt in the second division of the Hatoof, bravely chasing a talented Kiss Moon in the process to lose by a length under
Luis Saez. The exertion earned her a career-high BRIS Speed figure of
104 and should set the Jimmy DiVito-trained daughter of Curlin up beautifully
for an increase in distance.

Speaking of the Hatoof, veteran
trainer Tom Proctor has two possible runners in the Pucker Up, including Lucky
Seven Stable’s Hatoof third-place finisher V V Goodnight. Losing by a head
for it all (behind Annulment and Tempers Flair), the daughter of Midnight Lute
has been consistently competitive in stakes and allowance company. Proctor
also has Five Fillies Stable’s lightly raced Sistas Stroll under consideration
with the possibility of Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith flying in from California
for the ride. A big winner last out in an allowance at Del Mar, the
daughter of Stroll reveled in the same 1 1/8 miles of the Pucker Up in what was
only her third career start.

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