TORONTO, August 8 – Liberty Kitten, a five-year-old daughter of Kitten’s Joy, goes after her first added-money win in Saturday’s $100,000 Flaming Page Stakes, one of three features set for Woodbine’s live 10-race card. Trained by Mike De Paulo, Liberty Kitten, owned by Zilli Racing Stables, sports a record of four wins and three seconds from 15 lifetime starts. Liberty Kitten… (Michael Burns Photo) The Kentucky-bred has contested a trio of stakes, including her most recent effort when she was fifth in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly at the Toronto oval on June 30. “I think she’s an improving horse,” said De Paulo, who has 802 career training wins. “We’re going to give her a shot at this extended distance (1 ½-miles over the E.P. Taylor Turf Course). Kitten’s Joy horses seem to be able to do anything and I’m hoping we can get some black type on Saturday.” Liberty Kitten, who has two wins from five starts in 2018, began her campaign with three races in Gulfstream, where she notched a three-quarter length victory at 7 ½-furlongs on the grass on January 11, followed by a pair of fifth-place efforts. The chestnut found herself back in the winner’s circle again on June 2 at Woodbine courtesy of a two-length triumph at one mile on the turf. “She tries,” praised De Paulo. “I expect her to run well. Physically, she’s bigger and stronger than she was last year. I really have no complaints. She’s coming into the race in good shape.” Liberty Kitten recorded a 91 Beyer rating last time out, a career-best for the mare. “We ran a mile and a quarter in the Dance Smartly, which was the first time she ever really ran long and she ran a decent race,” noted De Paulo. “Every once in a while she can be a little tough, temperament-wise, but overall, she’s pretty nice. I like her. We bought her in a sale over a year ago now and it’s worked out pretty well.” Last year, Involuntary and jockey Gary Boulanger teamed to win the Flaming Page. The race is named after the first filly to win both the Canadian Oaks and the Queen’s Plate. Flaming Page was Canada’s leading money-earner in 1962 with $88,075, and was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame in 1980. Saturday will also see the running of the Victoriana Stakes (rescheduled after the race was cancelled due to severe weather on Holiday Monday) and the $100,000 Duchess Stakes. First post is 1:00 p.m. FIELD FOR THE FLAMING PAGE Post / Horse / Jockey / Trainer 1 / Daring Duchess / Rafael Hernandez / Michael Maker 2 / Giovanna Blues / Mario Pino / Michael Dickinson 3 / Creative Thinking / Gary Boulanger / Tom Proctor 4 / Galileo Gal / Patrick Husbands / Mark Casse 5 / Lottie / Alan Garcia / Graham Motion 6 / Liberty Kitten / Davy Moran / Mike De Paulo 7 / Daddy’s Great Bay / Kazushi Kimura / Gord Colborne 8 / Get Explicit / Eurico Rosa da Silva / Barb Minshall Share This:Share
