Night Prowler gets up late in Transylvania

Night Prowler displayed “a great late kick” in the Transylvania (Keeneland/Coady Photography) Paul Pompa Jr.’s homebred Night Prowler (Giant’s Causeway) utilized every yard of the Keeneland stretch to post a neck victory in Wednesday’s $100,000 Transylvania (G3), getting up in the final strides to nail Luck of the Kitten (Kitten’s Joy). Winner of the Dania Beach (G3) two starts previously, the Chad Brown-trained gelding completed 1 1/16 miles over the soft turf in 1:44 with jockey Javier Castellano. The Transylvania was initially scheduled for April 3 but was one of four races that day postponed by inclement weather. Luck of the Kitten set the pace, leading by about a length through opening splits of :24 1/5 and :49. Saham (Lemon Drop Kid) was tracking the pacesetter in second and Night Prowler was another length back in third as the five three-year-olds made their way through the first turn and backstretch. Saham moved closer to the pacesetter rounding the far turn and the pair hooked up in midstretch as Night Prowler began to inch forward. The winner found his best stride in deep stretch, closing determinedly to prevail on the far outside.

“I had a beautiful trip,” Castellano said. “I really liked the way he did it.
He’s got a great kick in the last part of the race, so I was really fortunate. I
had a lot of trouble in his last race (in which he finished fifth in the March 7
Palm Beach [G3] at Gulfstream). He got covered up, and I didn’t find any seam
(to run through).

“I was very fortunate today. He was able to work it out.”

Off as the 8-5 second choice, Night Prowler paid $5.20 to win.

Luck of the Kitten, the even-money favorite in his first start since
finishing second in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G1), fought back to claim
second by a half-length after being headed by Sahm in the stretch drive.

Fourth-placer Top of the Page (Parading) and Majestico (Majesticperfection)
were never a serious factor.

Night Prowler broke his maiden the second time out at Belmont Park in
mid-October and finished a neck third when making his stakes debut in the grassy
Pulpit at Gulfstream Park West on November 29.

He’s now earned $184,695 from a 6-3-0-2 record.

The Kentucky-bred chestnut is the first foal from the Grade 2-winning Mary’s
Follies (More Than Ready), an earner of $338,889.

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