Hawthorne Derby Attracts Charming Kitten

Well-traveled Charming Kitten drew the far outside post in a field of 10 sophomores as the 7-2 morning-line favorite in the $200,000 Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT) on the turf Oct. 5 in Illinois.

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred by Kitten's Joy   will be making his seventh consecutive start at different tracks for trainer Todd Pletcher. He was most recently fourth of five as the favorite in the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (gr. III), a race taken on the turf at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 9 and contested on a sloppy main track.

Charming Kitten won a listed stakes named for his sire in January at Gulfstream Park and is seeking his first graded win in the 1 1/8-mile race that highlights the opening weekend of action at Hawthorne Race Course. The Hawthorne Derby is the fifth event on the Saturday evening card with a 7:04 p.m. CDT scheduled post.

Florent Geroux has the riding assignment for the first time on Charming Kitten, who missed by a head to War Dancer when second in the Virginia Derby (gr. IIT) two starts back. The dark bay colt has placings this year in the Palm Beach Stakes (gr. IIT), the Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) on Polytrack, and the Penn Mile. 

Fred Allor's Five Iron, who has won three stakes in a row for trainer Brian Lynch, brings plenty of speed to the lineup. The Sharp Humor colt, 4-1 on the early line, most recently went gate to wire while registering a 2 1/2-length score in the Saranac Stakes (gr. IIIT) Sept. 1 at Saratoga. David Flores has the call for the first time.

Infinite Magic, pegged at 5-1, was a good closing second in the nine-furlong Del Mar Derby (gr. IIT) Sept. 1 for Team Valor International and trainer Rick Metee. That followed an upset victory in the American Derby (gr. IIIT) July 13 at Arlington Park. The More Than Ready   colt has won three of six starts this year and will be ridden by Channing Hill.

Kid Dreams and Dorsett also come out of the Del Mar Derby off respective fourth- and sixth-place finishes. The Neil Drysdale-trained Kid Dreams won an allowance/optional claiming race at Del Mar Aug. 18 and was making his graded-stakes debut in the Del Mar Derby. He will be guided by Francisco Torres at 6-1 in the line. Dorsett, a son of Artie Schiller   who won the Mystic Lake Derby Aug. 3,  teams up with Kent Desormeaux and is 8-1 on the morning line.

Sixth in the American Derby for trainer Mike Maker, Moro Tap won a lucrative allowance race at Kentucky Downs in his most recent start Sept. 18. Chris Landeros gets the call aboard the 6-1 shot.

Mongolian Saturday and Ultimo Trago should help provide some early pace.



$200,000 Hawthorne Derby (gr. IIIT, Race 5, 7:04 p.m.), 3YOs, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)

PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer, ML Odds

1. Kid Dreams (ON), F C Torres, 114, N D Drysdale, 6/1

2. Mongolian Saturday (KY), E Esquivel, 114, E Ganbat, 10/1

3. Dorsett (KY), K J Desormeaux, 122, M Stidham, 8/1

4. Infinite Magic (KY), C Hill, 122, R C Mettee, 5/1

5. Lukes Alley (ON), L Contreras, 114, J Carroll, 12/1

6. Ultimo Trago (IL), I Ocampo, 114, A De la cerda, 15/1

7. Moro Tap (VA), C Landeros, 114, M J Maker, 6/1

8. Five Iron (KY), D R Flores, 120, B A Lynch, 4/1

9. Always Curious (KY), F Boyce, 114, I Correas IV, 15/1

10. Charming Kitten (KY), F Geroux, 120, T A Pletcher, 7/2