Bobby’s Kitten shortens up for Hall of Fame run

Bobby’s Kitten looms as as strong favorite in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame (NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography) For Bobby’s Kitten, not being first or second at the first call of the July 5 Belmont Derby proved not to be a recipe for success. The freewheeling son of Kitten’s Joy will have a chance to make amends for an eighth-place finish in that race on Friday when he negotiates the shorter 1 1/16-mile trip of the Grade 2, $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame for three-year-olds on Saratoga‘s inner turf. A homebred campaigned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Bobby’s Kitten’s early and tactical speed has been both a blessing and a curse. The blessings have come in such lucrative events as the Penn Mile and Pilgrim, but the colt also has a history of tapping out his reserves, as was the case in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Blue Grass. The 1 1/4-mile Belmont Derby, the first time in Bobby’s Kitten’s eight-race career he did not start as the favorite, was a sight not many had been accustomed to seeing. Instead of being on or near the lead, the colt was rated a little over five lengths off the pace, made a middle around the far turn, and then tired badly to finish more than 14 lengths behind the winning Mr Speaker.

The shorter distance of the Hall of Fame, along with the corresponding drop
in class, should serve the probable favorite well. Among the others likely to
show early foot are Bashart, who took the With Anticipation at Saratoga last
summer and figures to improve off a fifth-place effort in the $100,000 Manila in
late June, which was his first since the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf last
November.

Also exiting the Manila is So Lonesome, who set a very brisk pace before
fading to third in that one-mile contest at Belmont.

Long On Value, a state-bred stakes winner on turf at Colonial Downs last
summer, was a beneficiary of the hot Manila pace as the Value Plus colt rallied
to finish second, a slot he also filled in his previous start in the Arlington
Classic.

Another intriguing Hall of Fame option is Give No Quarter, who dominated
allowance foes in his turf debut at Belmont last time by 3 1/2 lengths. The Tiz
Wonderful colt is trained by Graham Motion, who was winning at an impressive 26
percent clip at the meet at the conclusion of last week’s racing.

Also entered for the turf is Wallyanna, hero of the $100,00) James W. Murphy
at Pimlico on the Preakness undercard, but only fourth last out in the $204,000
Centaur at Indiana Grand.

Entered for the main track only is Matterhorn, a Todd Pletcher-trained colt
who finished fourth in the Peter Pan and eighth in the Belmont Stakes.

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