Tarabilla Farms Inc.’s Home Run Kitten ran down 2-1 favorite Ambitious Brew
in the shadow of the wire to take Friday’s opening day feature at
Santa Anita Park — the
Grade 3, $101,500
Eddie D.
Stakes — by a nose under jockey Joe Talamo. The three-year-old chestnut was
sent off the 10-1 sixth choice to pay $23.40 for his first graded victory.
Home Run Kitten bided his time in last on the downhill turf as Global Power,
Artest and Mr. Sexy battled it out through a swift opening half-mile in :21 2/5
and :43 2/5. The dirt crossover derailed those three but Ambitious Brew was more
than willing to take over after coming four wide into the stretch.
Meanwhile, Home Run Kitten was still last crossing over the dirt but kicked
into gear while widest of all and barreled down the center of the track to just
get the best of Ambitious Brew on the wire. The David Hofmans trainee finished
about 6 1/2 furlongs on the firm downhill course in 1:11 4/5.
Ambitious Brew had 1 1/2 lengths to spare on third-placer Lil Bit O’Fun, who
in turn was three parts of a length up on Pure Tactics. It was just a neck back
to Artest, who was followed under the wire by Eddie’s First, Mr. Sexy, Snowday,
Unbridled’s Note, Gallant Son and Global Power. No Silent was unable to draw in
from the also-eligible list.
Home Run Kitten finished third in his career debut at Hollywood Park in
December as a juvenile before breaking his maiden over the Eddie D. course and
distance on January 11 in his sophomore bow. His connections wanted to test
their Triple Crown nominee on the dirt and entered him next for the Robert B.
Lewis, where he finished fifth of eight.
Home Run Kitten was returned to the turf and wouldn’t finish out of the money
in his next four starts — including a third in the Pasadena, a neck second in
the La Puente and a win in the Singletary. That streak was broken last out when
the son of Kitten’s Joy tried the
Del Mar Derby and faded to fifth, but he returned to his winning ways in
this spot.
Now boasting a 4-1-2 mark from nine career starts, Home Run Kitten has banked
$217,800 lifetime earnings.
Bred in Kentucky by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, the colt is the first registered
stakes winner out of the Grand Slam mare Grand Slam Girl. Home Run Kitten’s
third dam is the unraced Forty Niner mare Western League, who produced dual
Grade 2 victress My Boston Gal, and his fourth dam is Grade 3 heroine Cinegita.
That mare would go on to foal the dam of champion Flanders, from whom is
descended champion millionaire Surfside.
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