Ceiling Kitty – see European report
Hightail – A
routine 1 1/2m gallop was on the schedule for Hightail again Thursday as the son
of Mineshaft out of the Storm Cat mare Stormy Renee prepares for what Hall of
Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas hopes will be his trainee’s first career victory.
He’s the only maiden in the race, but also one of three
prospective starters in the field of seven to have run in graded or group stakes
races. The other two, both fillies, are Ceiling Kitty and Sweet Shirley Mae.
South Floyd – Co-owned
by University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino and named after the
street of the practice basketball arena, South Floyd galloped 1 1/8m under
exercise rider Humberto Gomez at Santa Anita Thursday.
Super Ninety Nine – The
chestnut son of Pulpit was out at 7:45 Thursday morning for a gallop with
several of his barnmates from the Bob Baffert string, including the Classic
favorite Game On Dude.
Baffert has Super Ninety Nine in the Juvenile Sprint on the
Breeders’ Cup Friday card, a race the trainer captured in its inaugural running
last year at Churchill Downs with Secret Circle.
“He’s a fast horse,” Baffert said in appraising the
Kentucky-bred Super Ninety Nine. “His win (Oct. 7 at Santa Anita in a straight
maiden race going 7f) was very impressive and the horse he beat that day came
back with an ultra-impressive performance.”
That horse was a 2yo colt named Shakin It Up, who returned
at Santa Anita on Oct. 27 to win by open lengths in a 6f race in 1:09 2/5.
Baffert knows him well, because he trains him, too. He’s a son of the trainer’s
two-time Sprint champion Midnight Lute, who was partially owned by Baffert’s
longtime client Mike Pegram, a part-owner of Shakin It Up.
Sweet Shirley Mae – Ice
Wine Stable’s Sweet Shirley Mae galloped 1 1/2m under exercise rider Lindsey
Molina.
Molina said that Sweet Shirley Mae and stablemate Almost an
Angel (Juvenile Fillies) are scheduled for a paddock schooling session during
Thursday afternoon’s eight-race program at Santa Anita.
Trainer Wesley Ward is not on the scene as he is in Florida
for the weekend when his son competes in the state high school cross country
championships.