Aug 7, 2024 | Thoroughbred Ownership News
David GreningAug 05, 2024
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – The pedigree suggests Smokin’ Hot Kitty should be a turf horse. The results say Smokin’ Hot Kitty won’t be seeing the grass again anytime soon.
A winner of her last four dirt starts, Smokin’ Hot Kitty goes for her first stakes victory in Wednesday’s $125,000 Johnstone Mile Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares. Seven were entered in the one-mile race, but trainer Bruce Levine, who entered three, said Echo in Eternity would scratch.
Smokin’ Hot Kitty is by the prolific turf sire Kitten’s Joy out of the Street Sense mare Smoke Signals, who went 3 for 14 in her career – all on turf – and who has produced two turf winners. Smokin’ Hot Kitty has two wins on turf, but she has raised her game since March, when she won a nonwinners-of-three $25,000 claiming race at Aqueduct for fillies and mares.
Smokin’ Hot Kitty is running back three weeks after she won a New York-bred second-level allowance going 1 1/8 miles here July 18. She is 3 for 3 at the one-mile distance.
“She’s just in good form right now,” trainer Horacio DePaz said. “I’d rather run her than train her. Her weight’s really good, her appetite’s been really good. We let her breeze an easy three-eighths [in 38.89 seconds on Friday]. She ate up and was happy.”
Kendrick Carmouche rides Smokin’ Hot Kitty from post 3.
In Cupid’s Heart, Levine sends out a winner of an open first-level allowance race on June 30 at Aqueduct, her first start in almost nine months. Cupid’s Heart beat St. Benedicts Prep, who came back to win a first-level allowance here Saturday with an 89 Beyer Speed Figure.
“I thought it was a very big effort,” Levine said of Cupid’s Heart’s return race. “She’s trained really good since.”
Sunset Louise hasn’t won since she took an off-the-turf allowance in July 2023 against just two opponents. Despite her recent poor form – and her 0-for-7 record without Lasix – Levine likes what he’s seen from the mare since he got her up to Saratoga.
“She’s really doing good up here,” Levine said. “She was doing so-so last year and this spring she was doing so-so, but since I got her up here – I don’t know why – she’s really training good. She’s going to run a big race. She doesn’t get Lasix, but she’s really training good, that filly.”
Sterling Silver is a three-time New York-bred stakes winner, but those wins have come at distances shorter than one mile. She is coming out of a fifth-place finish, beaten three lengths, in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss here July 24.
Bill Mott, Sterling Silver’s trainer, said the one-mile distance “is better than six [furlongs] and it’s New York-breds.”
Bustin Bay, runner-up in three of the last four stakes in which she’s participated, and Maggy’s Palace, a recent first-level statebred allowance winner on June 30 at Aqueduct, complete the field.
The Johnstone goes as race 9 on a 10-race card that begins at 1:10 p.m. with the rescheduled Jonathan Kiser Novice Steeplechase.
Apr 11, 2024 | Thoroughbred Ownership News
Smokin’ Hot Kitty moved up from the claiming ranks into a Starter Allowance and kept up her winning ways as she scored a 2-length victory in Thursday’s 7th Race at Aqueduct. It was our 3rd win with Smokin’ Hot Kitty and trainer Horacio De Paz and the second in a row with jockey Kendrick Carmouche as the combination also claimed victory back on March 16th. It was also our 10th victory with Kendrick Carmouche aboard as he becomes the second jockey behind Silvestre Gonzalez to reach double digits in wins for APS.
Mar 29, 2024 | Thoroughbred Ownership News
From DRF.com
Foot issues prompted trainer John Kimmel to change the type of shoes Mandatory wears in his races and the change has brought about a remarkable reversal of fortune.
A 7-year-old gelding by American Pharaoh who won once in his first 20 starts, Mandatory seeks a third straight win Friday at Aqueduct when he runs in a first-level allowance scheduled for 6 1/2 furlongs on the main track.
Kimmel said in the days following a fifth-place performance in a starter allowance on Jan. 27, Mandatory was having difficulties with his feet. The decision was made to switch from a regular aluminum shoe to glue-on shoes. In his first start in the new shoes, Mandatory won a $40,000 claiming race by 12 3/4 lengths and earned a 99 Beyer Speed Figure, a huge number for that level.
In his first work back after that race, Mandatory breezed a half-mile in a rapid 46.40 seconds, much quicker than expected. A week later, Mandatory won a starter allowance by 1 3/4 lengths, with an 85 Beyer.
“He won that race but it wasn’t the same way he ran the time before,” Kimmel said, adding that the quick work “was almost like he had a race in between races. This time, I said, ‘We’re not going to work him between races.’ ”
Mandatory drew the outside post in this six-horse field and was redden by Manny Franco, as Dylan Davis, aboard for the two most recent wins, is in Dubai to ride Pandagate in Saturday’s UAE Derby at Meydan.
Mandatory broke on top and settled into 3rd, letting the leaders duel it out. Closing the gap in the turn, Mandatory made his bid just off the bend, held off a challenge from the inside and won by 1 1/4 lengths.
The win was the 10th with trainer John Kimmel, and the 3rd of the year as he takes the lead in our trainer standings. Manny Franco also won his 3rd race of the year as he also took the lead in our jockey standings for the year.
Feb 24, 2024 | Thoroughbred Ownership News
Girl Afraid and Ben Curtis picked up an easy win in the opening race at Fairgrounds on Saturday, February 25th. In just our 3rd start at the New Orleans track, it became the 13th different track America’s Pastime Stables has recorded a victory at, as the previous 2 starts resulted in 3rd place finishes. This 6 furlong race set up perfectly as Girl Afraid broke first, then stayed no more than half a length behind the leader as they dueled down the backstretch. As the horses rounded the turn into the homestretch, Ben Curtis took the lead and had Girl Afraid pull away from the pack to show why this filly was the 4:5 favorite. They coasted to the wire with a 5-lenght win in 1:11.10. It was the first win jockey Ben Curtis in his 2nd start for us and our 2nd win of the year with trainer Rob Falcone, Jr.
Meanwhile, a few hours later, we found ourselves in the winner’s circle again over in South Florida. Sweet Dani Girl picked up her second win of the year for us at Gulfstream Park. It was an Ortiz brothers double. Irad got the win with Sweet Dani Girl on January 14th, while Jose notched the victory on Saturday while Irad was at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Riyadh aboard White Abarrio in the $20 million Saudi Cup. Jose had Sweet Dani Girl track the pace 2-wide around the first turn and edged closer rounding the far turn to go 3-wide on the outside down the stretch before taking the lead in the final furlong to score the 1/2 length victory in the 1 1/16 mile race in 1:40.46. After collecting 4 wins with Irad, this was our first win with Jose in 5 starts and our second win with trainer Christophe Clement.
Feb 16, 2024 | Thoroughbred Ownership News
Mandatory and Dylan Davis scored a massive victory in the Friday finale at Aqueduct on February 16th. The John Kimmel trained 7-year-old cut back in distance going 7 furlongs and finally got a fast track after the last 3 starts came on muddy tracks. After sitting in 3rd at the half, Mandatory took the lead going into the stretch and then left everyone in the dust as they crossed the wire with a 12 3/4 lead in a final time of 1:24.94. The race left NYRA analyst Andy Serling beaming with praise even stating that it was “a Breeder’s Cup type figure.”
It ended up with a 109 Equibase Speed figure and a 99 Beyer. Going off at odds of 7:2, Mandatory paid $9.40 to win. It was our 8th win with trainer John Kimmel, tying him with James Noble for the 3rd most trainer wins and our 4th win with Dylan Davis aboard, tying him with 6th most on our jockey standings.
