'Kitten' Cuts Back in Trip for Racing HOF

Multiple graded stakes winners Camelot Kitten and Airoforce top the field for the $200,000 National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. IIT) Aug. 5 at Saratoga Race Course.

The 1 1/16-mile turf race, which drew a field of nine, including two main-track-only entrants, goes as race nine on the 10-race card, with an approximate post time of 5:40 EDT.

Saratoga's current leading trainer Chad Brown is to send out Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Camelot Kitten,who returns to 1 1/16 miles after finishing fourth last time out in the 1 1/4-mile Belmont Invitational Derby (gr. IT) July 7 on the Belmont Park inner turf.

Brown said Camelot Kitten is likely better suited to the Racing Hall of Fame trip as two of his three career wins have come at the distance, including his maiden-breaking win in September 2015 and in the American Turf (gr. IIT) May 7 at Churchill Downs.

"He's a very consistent horse who has had a very good season, particular since we've put the blinkers on him (for the American Turf)," Brown said of the homebred son of Kitten's Joy who also won the 1 1/8-mile Pennine Ridge (gr. IIIT) June 4. "I thought he ran well in the Belmont Derby, it just proved to be a little far for him. He came out of the race in good shape and hopefully by cutting him back, he'll go back to his winning ways."

Airoforce is the only other entrant with multiple graded stakes wins, having captured the 2015 Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (gr. IIIT) and the Kentucky Jockey Club (gr. II).

Trained by Mark Casse for John Oxley, the son of Colonel John   will be looking for his first win this year and enters off a 10th-place finish in the Belmont Derby. He finished second by a neck to stablemate Catch a Glimpse in the June 4 Penn Mile (gr. IIIT). 

Unbridled Daddy, who has two wins and two thirds on turf, will be returning to the track where he broke his maiden in his second start in August 2015. Red Oak Stable's Scat Daddy colt finished second last time out in the Long Branch (gr. III) on Monmouth Park's main track.

"He ran here twice and broke his maiden here, so we're going to give it a try," Pletcher said. "If somehow the weather takes it off (the turf), he should be competitive either way. He's got enough tactical speed (that) I think he'll be able to (avoid) getting too far back. He likes to stalk."

Other entrants include Isotherm, second in the grade III Dania Beach Stakes in January, his most recent start; Giant Run, who is 3-3-1 in seven career turf starts, including a win in the Manila Stakes July 4 at Belmont last time out; Strike Midnight, who will be making his graded stakes debut; and Copingaway, runner-up July 31 in an allowance optional claimer at Gulfstream Park. 

Pletcher-trained Decorated Soldier and Rudy Rodriguez-trained Voluntario are main-track only entrants.