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Leading Gulfstream Park trainer Todd Pletcher saddles top-weighted Candy Kitty for the $100,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT), one of nine sophomore fillies set to contest the 1 1/8-mile turf event March 2.
Pletcher has also entered Seeking Her Glory in the Herecomesthebride, which is race 9 on Gulfstream's Sunday program with a scheduled post time of 5:10 p.m. EST. While the main body of the race has nine entrants, two additional fillies are entered for the main track only.
Starlight Racing's Candy Kitty is the more accomplished of Pletcher's turf pair, winning the Wait a While Stakes over a sloppy Gulfstream track Nov. 30 and most recently weaving her way through traffic to prevail in the Ginger Brew Stakes on the grass Jan. 5. She'll be after a third straight stakes win while toting 120 pounds with Edgar Prado aboard from post 2.
"She ran well here both when the race came off the turf and on the turf, so she's pretty versatile," Pletcher commented. "She seems to be doing well."
Prado rode the daughter of Lemon Drop Kid in each of her last two wins. Candy Kitty will concede four pounds to her rivals.
Seeking Her Glory, a Virginia-bred filly campaigned by owner Lawrence Goichman, shed her bridesmaid status with a front-running maiden tally Feb. 9 over the Gulfstream course and distance. The daughter of Giant's Causeway was second behind Hardly at Aqueduct Racetrack Nov. 17 and to Party Now Jan. 2 prior to her graduation.
"I thought her maiden win was very good," Pletcher said. "She seems to be steadily improving with each start. She is making a big jump from a maiden to a stakes, but her numbers suggest that she fits, and the mile and an eighth seemed to suit her last time."
Meet-leading jockey Javier Castellano will once again ride Seeking Her Glory, who drew the 4 post.
Pletcher entered Fierce Boots, a stakes winner at Aqueduct, for main track only in the Herecomesthebride.
Hardly, owned by Lee Lewis and trained by Mark Hennig, is coming off a troubled fourth-place effort in the Sweetest Chant Stakes Jan. 26. The daughter of Hard Spun will be ridden by jockey Jose Lezcano when she breaks from the No. 8 post.
Room Service, third in the Sweetest Chant, drew the outside post for trainer by Wayne Catalano on behalf of owner-breeders Gary and Mary West. The More Than Ready miss will have the services of jockey Joel Rosario for the first time.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred High Wire Kitten broke her maiden on the Gulfstream grass Dec. 22 and added an allowance victory eight days later at Turfway Park. Trainer Wesley Ward has freshened up the daughter of Kitten's Joy , and she recorded four notable workouts at Palm Meadows during February. She will be ridden by Dylan Davis and break from post 5.
$100,000 Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT, Race 9, 5:10 p.m.), 3YO Fillies, 1 1/8 Miles (Turf)
PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. America (KY), J R Velazquez, 116, W I Mott
2. Candy Kitty (KY), E S Prado, 120, T A Pletcher
3. Valseuse (KY), J R Leparoux, 116, C Clement
4. Seeking Her Glory (VA), J Castellano, 116, T A Pletcher
5. High Wire Kitten (KY), D Davis, 116, W A Ward
6. Merry Merry Bee (KY), L Saez, 116, M Dini
7. Raging Atlantic (KY), P Lopez, 116, M J Maker
8. Hardly (KY), J Lezcano, 116, M A Hennig
9. Room Service (KY), J Rosario, 116, W M Catalano
Main Track Only
10. Joint Return (KY), K Carmouche, 116, J C Servis
11. Fierce Boots (KY), J Castellano, 116, T A Pletcher
