Two-year-old Katie's Kiss romped to a front-running victory in the third race at Gulfstream Park July 26 and became the first winner for Florida-based freshman sire Kantharos (VIDEO).
The bay filly took charge soon after the start and was never headed en route to a 5 1/2-length triumph for David Fawkes, who trains Katie's KIss for Stonestreet Stables.
Ridden by Ramsey Zimmerman, Katie's Kiss finished the 4 1/2-furlong maiden special weight event in :51.67 on a sloppy, sealed track. The winning Boston Harbor mare Sydney's Kiss is the dam of Katie's Kiss, who was bred in Florida by A. Francis Vanlangendonck and Barbara Vanlangendonck.
A two-time graded stakes winner in 2010, Kantharos was a leading juvenile that season before his premature retirement due to an injury. He won three races from as many starts—by a combined margin of 28 1/2 lengths—including the Saratoga Special (gr. II) and Bashford Manor (gr. III), and earned $185,213 for Stonestreet Stables.
Kantharos is a 6-year-old son of Lion Heart out of the winning Southern Halo mare Contessa Halo. The half brother to grade III winner Ikigai and grade III-placed stakes winner Bonifacio stands at Ocala Stud Farm, where he commanded a 2014 fee of $5,000. He has 51 2-year-olds in his first crop.
