Bodog Beat

Precious Kitten gave an impressive performance at Hollywood Park on Monday. (AP Images)

The older filly and mare turf division gained a new leader over the Memorial Day weekend. Precious Kitten, a five-year-old mare trained by Bobby Frankel, looked like a hungry tiger when she pounced on four rivals in the Gr. 1 $250,000 Gamely Stakes at Hollywood Park on Monday.
Coming off a disappointing fifth-place effort behind Rutherienne in the Gr. 2 Jenny Wiley Stakes at Keeneland on April 12, Precious Kitten was never menaced by that rival in the Gamely, stretching her advantage over second favorite Diamond Diva to 2 ¼ lengths at the wire with Rutherienne checking in a well-beaten third.
Ridden by Rafael Bejarano, the heavy favorite stalked pacesetter Diamond Diva, content to let the leader draw off to an energy sapping four length lead as the field raced down the backstretch. As the compact field of five approached the quarter pole, Precious Kitten was asked for speed and quickly collared the leader entering the stretch. Streaking to the wire, the winner required tank.
Kentucky-bred Precious Kitten was purchased by her present connections after a 2007 campaign that saw the talented filly win four races including the Gr. 1 John C. Mabee Handicap at Del Mar and Hollywood Park’s prestigious Gr. 1 Matriarch Stakes in November. The grass specialist boasts a lifetime bankroll of $1,602,088 with a record of eight wins from 21 starts. Her love for the turf comes as little encouragement from Bejarano and got to the finish with plenty more left in the no surprise considering her half-brother Kitten’s Joy was the 2004 champion turf horse.
Monday’s impressive performance by Precious Kitten gave Hall of Fame conditioner Frankel his eighth victory in the prestigious Gr. 1 Gamely, a record not soon to be equaled with the future of Hollywood Park clouded. Sale of the exclusive Inglewood facility, host of some of racing’s greatest memories, has been reported to be inevitable with developers anxious to acquire the valuable real estate.

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