Kitten’s Cat leads Spiral Stakes field
A full, competitive field is expected Saturday for the $500,000, Grade 3, 11⁄ 8- mile Spiral Stakes at Turfway Park in Florence, Ky., with a dozen horses figuring to make a run at the winner’s share of 50 points toward the Kentucky Derby on May 6.
Among the expected starters is Kitten’s Cat, trained by Joe Sharp for Ken and Sarah Ramsey. By Eclipse turf champion Kitten’s Joy, Kitten’s Cat has been in the money in six of his seven starts, winning three, including the Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita in November and the Kitten’s Joy Stakes at Gulfstream in February. He was second by a length in his most recent start, the Grade 3 Palm Beach Stakes on March 4 at Gulfstream.
“Kitten’s Joy’s (progeny) seem to do well on (polytrack),” Sharp said of Kitten’s Cat. “With his record, I’d expect him to be one of the favorites.”
Blueridge Traveler makes his stakes debut in the Spiral for trainer Kenny McPeek. A “big, strapping colt with a big, long stride,” according to assistant trainer Michael Kleier, Blueridge Traveler has a win and two seconds in four starts, three on dirt.
“Blueridge Traveler is coming up to the race really well. He wants more distance, and the mile-and-an-eighth ought to suit him,” McPeek said.
Other possibilities for the Spiral: Bronson (trained by Todd Pletcher); Colonel Samsen (Eoin Harty); Convict Pike (Rusty Arnold); En Hanse and Fast and Accurate (Mike Maker); Giant Payday (Ian Wilkes); Hot Dad (Mike Maker); Impressive Edge (Dale Romans); Parlor (Eddie Kenneally); Sailing Home (Mark Casse); Soglio (Graham Motion) and Star Empire (Wesley Ward).
Pletcher colt shines: Malagacy gave his trainer Todd Pletch- er another legitimate 3-year-old to consider for the Kentucky Derby when he won the $900,000 Grade 2, 11⁄ 16- mile Rebel Stakes by 2 lengths over Sonneteer on Saturday at Oaklawn Park in Hot Springs, Ark.
The colt did not race as a 2year-old, making his debut at Gulfstream Park on Jan. 4 when he romped to a 15-length victory in a 51⁄ 2- furlong race. He also won a 61⁄ 2- furlong allowance race at Gulfstream by 7 lengths.
The Rebel was Malagacy’s first try at two turns, and he passed with flying colors. “He was so impressive in his first two starts that (running in the Rebel) wasn’t a question of talent,” Pletcher said. “It was ... stretching out around two turns and stepping up into graded-stakes company. We were very confident in the way the horse was training. ... There’s some stamina in his pedigree, but he’s also a ... very fast horse.”
Malagacy leaps in poll: Malagacy jumped from 25th to fifth in this week’s NTRA 3-yearold poll. The chestnut son of 2011 Preakness winner Shackleford is 3-for-3 in 2017. He earned 50 qualifying points toward the Kentucky Derby and sits fourth on the list of 20 possible starters in the race. His next start is expected to be the Grade 1 Arkansas Derby on April 15.
McCraken remains atop the poll. The unbeaten graded-stakes winner is at Keeneland preparing for the $1 million Grade 2 Toyota Blue Grass on April 8.
Second-place Gunnevera tops the Kentucky Derby leaderboard with 64 points and is targeting the Grade 1 Florida Derby on April 1 for his next start.