Home Run Kitten Knocks it out of the Park

Home Run Kitten came from out of the clouds to hit the opening day feature out of the park. A maiden winner going down the hill in January, he could do no better than a well-beaten fifth at 31-1 when tried on dirt in the GII Robert B. Lewis S. Feb. 8. After hitting the board with strong efforts in the Pasadena S. Mar. 22 and La Puente S. Apr. 19, both at Santa Anita, he put them back-to-back in a May 18 optional claimer and the Singletary S. June 21, both at a mile. He was cutting back in distance here following a fifth-place finish in the 1 1/8-mile GII Del Mar Derby Aug. 31. Outsprinted while last of 11 through an opening quarter in :21.41, Home Run Kitten finally entered the picture in deep stretch and finished up like he was shot out of a cannon to get the money right on the line. “A mile, 6 1/2 [furlongs], seven is perfect for him, if those races come up,” trainer David Hofmans said. “It didn’t look like it at first, but it sure did at the end. He’s done this before. If you looked at one of his other races, he looked hopelessly beaten at the eighth pole.” Hofmans also saddled Desert Code (E Dubai) for these connections to a 36-1 upset in the 2008 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita. Any chance history repeats itself? “We might do the same thing,” Hofmans commented. “He paid $80 bucks that day. This horse might pay $40.”

Friday, Santa Anita
EDDIE D S.-GIII, $101,500, SAX, 9-26, 3yo/up, 
a6 1/2fT, 1:11 4/5, fm. 
1–@HOME RUN KITTEN, 115, c, 3, by Kitten’s Joy 
     1st Dam: Grand Slam Girl, by Grand Slam 
     2nd Dam: Itama, by Tabasco Cat 
     3rd Dam: Western League, by Forty Niner 
O-Tarabilla Farms Inc; B-Kenneth L & Sarah K Ramsey 
(KY); T-David E Hofmans; J-Joseph Talamo. 
$60,000. Lifetime Record: 9-4-1-2, $217,800. 
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus* Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ambitious Brew, 118, g, 4, Tizbud–Kathwen, by 
Forest Wildcat. O/B-Pamela C Ziebarth (CA); T-Martin 
F Jones. $20,000. 
3–Lil Bit O’Fun, 118, g, 6, Langfuhr–Dash of Humor, 
by Distorted Humor. ($22,000 RNA wlng ’08 
KEENOV). O-Philip Belmonte, Henry Cohen, Mark 
Gorman & Sterling Stables; B-Jim Conway (KY); 
T-Philip D’Amato. $12,000. 
Margins: NO, 1HF, 3/4. Odds: 10.70, 2.30, 4.90. 
Also Ran: Pure Tactics, Artest, Eddie’s First, Mr. Sexy, Snowday (Fr), Unbridled’s Note, Gallant Son, Global Power. Scratched: No Silent. Click for the brisnet.com chart or the brisnet.com PPs. VIDEO.