3/29/09
Last updated: 3/28/09 8:43 PM
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Kiss the Kid successfully cut back in trip
(Adam Coglianese) |
Hardacre Farm’s KISS THE KID (Lemon Drop Kid) got up in the final strides to
win Saturday’s $100,000
Appleton
S. (G3) at Gulfstream Park. Trained by Amy Tarrant, the six-year-old horse
hadn’t raced at a distance less than a mile since his career debut in 2006, but
the dark bay Kentucky-bred cut back effectively to 7 1/2 furlongs to garner his
fourth career stakes victory. The near 5-2 favorite stopped the teletimer over
the firm turf in 1:28 with jockey Elvis Trujillo.
Bold Start (Jump Start) led the way through opening splits in :23 4/5 and :47
1/5 with Kiss the Kid stalking the pace in fourth. Artic Cry (Rahy) seized the
lead turning for home, passing the six-furlong mark in 1:10 1/5 with a
half-length advantage, but he could not withstand the late rush of the winner.
Kiss the Kid surged right before the wire for the half-length decision and
rewarded his supporters with payouts of $6.80, $3.80 and $2.80. Artic Cry paid
$7.40 and $4.80 at nearly 8-1. Passager (Fr) (Anabaa) loomed boldly in upper
stretch, but he had nowhere to run and was forced to alter course after being
stopped around the sixteenth-pole. He eventually checked in third, another three
parts of a length back at 5-1, and returned $4.20. The exacta totaled $62, the trifecta $300.80, and the 3-9-1-2 superfecta, with the 4-1 Vanquisher (Gulch) in
fourth, was good for $810.80.
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Bold Start, Pickapocket (Mecke), Avanti Avanti (Royal Academy) and Fagedaboudit Sal (Yarrow Brae) came next under the wire. Cannonball (Catienus),
Granizo (Brz) (Ibero [Arg]), T. D. Vance (Rahy) and main-track only runner
Hypocrite (Outofthebox) were withdrawn.
Bred by Jayeff B Stables, Kiss the Kid was purchased by his connections for
$270,000 at the 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale. The second
registered foal out of the winning Black Tie Kiss (Danzig), he is a full brother
to Lemon Kiss (Lemon Drop Kid), winner of the 2008 Emerald Distaff H., and
a half-brother to the unraced sophomore colt Morning Dress (Smart Strike). Black Tie Kiss is
herself a half-sister to 1991 Horse of the Year and sire Black Tie Affair (Ire)
(Miswaki) as well as Group 1 hero Great Palm (Manila).
Kiss the Kid captured
last year’s Cliff Hanger S. (G3) and 2007 Cozzene S. He opened this season with
a victory in the Ft. Lauderdale S. and recorded a fast-finishing fourth in the
Gulfstream Park Turf H. (G1) prior to the Appleton. He’s placed in six stakes,
including a third in the 2008 Donn H. (G1), and has now earned $609,767 from a
27-8-2-5 line.
