By Joe Bianca
Ramsey homebred Camelot Kitten (Kitten's Joy), barely on the radar in the 3-year-old turf division at the beginning of 2016, can put a stranglehold on it with a win in Friday's featured GII Hall of Fame S., going nine furlongs on the Saratoga inner turf.
A winner of his debut routing on the Belmont turf last September, the bay followed that up by passing 11 horses when finishing second in Keeneland's GIII Dixiana Bourbon S. Oct. 4, but failed to factor when checking in 12th in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf 27 days later in Lexington.
Adding blinkers after a runner-up finish to start his sophomore campaign in an Apr. 13 allowance at Keeneland, Camelot Kitten responded with back-to-back wins in the GII American Turf S. May 7 at Churchill and the GIII Pennine Ridge S. June 4 at Belmont before running fourth in the GI Belmont Derby last out July 9.
“The cut back in distance should suit him,” trainer Chad Brown said to the NYRA notes team. “He's a very consistent horse who has had a very good season, particularly since we've put the blinkers on him. 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.”
Looking to rebound from a disappointing first half of his sophomore season is John Oxley's Airoforce (Colonel John). The $350,000 OBS April buy went three-for-four as a 2-year-old, with his only defeat being by a neck second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf. Winless in five starts so far this year, he checked in second to Canadian Horse of the Year and stablemate Catch a Glimpse (City Zip) in the GIII Penn Mile June 4 and removes blinkers for this one as he looks to bounce back from a 10th-place effort in the Belmont Derby.
Robert C. Baker and William L. Mack's Giant Run (Giant's Causeway) is looking for a breakthrough victory, having hit the board in five straight stakes tries after breaking his maiden Jan. 2 at Gulfstream. Winner of the Cutler Bay S. in Hallandale Mar. 26, he finished second to the reopposing Copingaway (Brother Derek) in the Engish Channel S. next out May 7, completed the trifecta in the Penn Mile and most recently got the money in the July 4 Manila S.
Isotherm (Lonhro {Aus}) looks like a dangerous contender off the layoff. The Matthew Schera-owned colt is a head away from being three-for-three on turf, running second in the GIII Dania Beach Jan. 2 at Gulfstream when last seen. He brings an array of fast breezes over the local training turf into this return, most notably going a best-of-34 four furlongs around dogs in :49 1/5 July 18.
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