HERECOMESTHEBRIDE S. (gr. III ), Gulfstream Park , March 02, 2013 , $150,000 Guaranteed , value of race $190,000 , 3 yo , 1 1/8 miles , 1:50.22 Turf FM .

Trainer Graham Motion figured Kitten’s Point would like the 11/8-mile trip of the Herecomesthebride Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Gulfstream Park March 2 under jockey Edgar Prado. Turns out he was right.

“That’s why I ran her, because I thought she’d like the distance,” said Motion, who conditions the 3-year-old daughter of Kitten’s Joy for owner/breeder George Strawbridge. “I thought the 11/8 miles would be a big help to her. Actually, Edgar just jumped off and said he can’t wait for her to go a little farther.”

Despite beginning her career with a victory over the synthetic surface at Presque Isle Downs last September, Kitten’s Point was switched to grass racing. She was beaten a nose in the JP Morgan Chase Jessamine Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Keeneland and then finished 12th in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (gr. IT). She raced once this year before the Herecomesthebride, finishing second at a mile on grass at Gulfstream Park.

Strawbridge, who races Kitten’s Point in the name of his Augustin Stable, is coming off a stellar year. He bred and raced Pennsylvania champions Angel Terrace and Thought Worthy and was the leading overall breeder of Pennsylvania-breds and the leading breeding fund award recipient.

Out of the winning Kingmambo mare Rendezvous Point, Kitten’s Point is a half sister to Strawbridge’s homebred stakes winner Port Morsbey (by Pleasantly Perfect) and is from a female family responsible for multiple grade I winner Marquetry and grade II winner Five Star Day, who is a half brother to Rendezvous Point.

Strawbridge bought Rendezvous Point for $500,000 at the 2002 Keeneland July yearling sale through John Gosden from John J. Greely III, agent. Rendezvous Point produced several other foals for Strawbridge including Pleasantrendezvous. Following Pleasantrendezvous’ racing days, Strawbridge turned the Pleasant Tap gelding into a three-day event horse.

Strawbridge no longer owns Rendezvous Point. “She proved a disappointment and I sold her,” he said. “I needed to get my broodmares down to a manageable group. One good thing was that her foals were attractive.”

Rendezvous Point’s youngest offspring, a Discreet Cat yearling filly, was bred by Diamond G Ranch in Oklahoma. Rendezvous Point is in foal to Tactical Cat for 2013.

Kitten’s Joy has sired 32 stakes winners including 2013 added-money winners Csaba (gr. III), Artemus Kitten (who won the Jersey Lilly Stakes on the same day as Kitten’s Point’s Herecomesthebride victory), and Charming Kitten. Kitten’s Joy stands for $50,000 at Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey’s Ramsey Farm near Nicholasville, Ky.—D.S.

CENTRAL BANK ASHLAND S. (gr. I ), Keeneland , April 06, 2013 , $500,000 Guaranteed , value of race $500,000 , 3 yo , 1 1/16 miles , 1:43.49 All Weather Track FT .

Juddmonte Farms’ homebred filly Emollient graduated from an unproven performer to a front-running grade I winner with her game score in the April 6 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland over 12 accomplished rivals.

With her first graded victory, the Kentucky-bred daughter of Empire Maker made up for a distant fifth in her last start in the Gulfstream Park Oaks (gr. II) only a week earlier and became a viable contender along the Kentucky Oaks (gr. I) trail.

Juddmonte Farms, owned by Saudi Arabian-born Prince Khalid Abdullah and located near Lexington, has a long history with the families of many of its top runners. The farm’s association with Emollient, however, is fairly recent.

Juddmonte, which this year is represented as owner by other graded stakes winners Starformer and Close Hatches, purchased Emollient’s dam Soothing Touch for $550,000 at the 2005 Keeneland September yearling sale from Lane’s End, agent. The Touch Gold mare had a modest race career, earning $24,000 from six starts.

Soothing Touch’s first three dams, all of which are stakes winners, made her catalog page shine. Her dam, Glia (by A.P. Indy), is a half sister to French highweight Denebola, and related to other grade/group victors Snake Mountain and Loving Kindness. Another half sister, Moonlight’s Box, produced European and French champion Bago (by Nashwan) and group II winner Maxios, who won the Prix d’Harcourt at Longchamp the Sunday following the Ashland.

Soothing Touch’s second dam, group I winner Coup de Genie (by Mr. Prospector), was highweighted in France, while her third dam is French group III victor Coup de Folie (by Halo).

Coup de Genie is a full sister to European and French highweight and leading United Arab Emirates sire Machiavellian; plus a half sister to graded stakes winners Exit to Nowhere (Fr-I) and Hydro Calido (Fr-II), and a full sister to Ocean of Wisdom (Fr-III).

Emollient is the first foal out of 9-year-old Soothing Touch, who delivered a filly by Juddmonte stallion First Defence Feb. 6.

Empire Maker is the sire of 38 stakes winners, including other 2013 added-money winners Royal Delta (gr. III) and Sky Kingdom (gr. III). Empire Maker, a son of Unbridled, stands for a private fee at JBBA Shizunai Stallion Station in Japan.—E.M.