Colonial Turf Cup Sought by Seven 3-Year-Olds

Two Kentucky Derby runners that have better records on grass than other surfaces head a field of seven 3-year-olds in Saturday’s $500,000 Colonial Turf Cup.

Likely favorite Paddy O’Prado, third at Louisville, has hit the board in all four turf outings. The son of El Prado won   Gulfstream Park’s Palm Beach Stakes by 2 ½ lengths over Dean’s Kitten, his main challenger at Colonial Downs.  He was victorious from the inside post, which he drew for the 1 3/16-contest on the outer turf course at Colonial Downs. 

The likely post-time favorite breezed a half-mile in 48 3/5 at Churchill Downs on Tuesday.

Dean’s Kitten, 14th in the Kentucky Derby, is the most experienced sophomore in the field and has a 2-2-1 record in eight grass races. On Sunday, the colt breezed five furlongs in 1:00 1/5 on the Churchill Downs main track.

Connections in both camps have won Colonial’s major two stakes. Trainer Dale Romans, who sends out Paddy O’Prado, captured the 2004 Virginia Derby with Kitten’s Joy. Ironically, the latter sired Dean’s Kitten.

Alan Garcia, who guided Sailor’s Cap to victory in the ’08 Turf Cup, will be the sixth jockey to climb aboard Dean’s Kitten, trained by Mike Maker. Kent Desormeaux returns for the fourth time to guide Paddy O’Prado, who finished sixth in the Preakness last time out

Two other trainers that saddled Turf Cup winners also are represented in the Grade 2 event. Todd Pletcher, who entered Doubles Partner, saw his English Channel take the ’05 inaugural.

Doubles Partner is the most rested horse in the field, winning the American Turf at Churchill Downs on April 30. The rider will be Garrett Gomez, two-time Virginia Derby winner. The son of Rock Hard Ten breezed five furlongs on Belmont’s inner turf course in 1:02 2/5 on Sunday.

Barclay Tagg sends out lightly-raced Kindergarden Kid, with Cornelio Velasquez getting the mount. The same combination brought Showing Up to the winner’s circle in ’06 – the only Kentucky Derby runner to score.

The son of Dynaformer broke his maiden in his second start and recently captured an optional claimer at Belmont Park. He worked six furlongs on the Elmont, N.Y. main track in 1:12 3/5 last Saturday.

Rounding out the field:

Two Notch Road: This unheralded gelding, which breaks from the outside post, has won at odds of 8-1 to 107-1 in three outings at Monmouth Park. The son of Partner’s Road won at triple-digit odds in the Continental Mile last year and twice this year in allowance contests open to older runners.

Working for Hops: The son of City Zip broke his maiden in his debut. Fifth in the American Turf, the colt exits a victory in the Arlington Classic. He also scored three races back in the Grindstone Stakes.

Vamos a Ver: The son of Smart Strike, who broke his maiden third time out despite the rider dropping his whip, scored in his last two races. His latest victory was wire to wire in an allowance-optional claimer at 1 1/8 miles in 1:48 3/5 over Colonial’s outer turf course on May 29.