Having won a race on turf for us in 2023, this 5-year-old Bay Mare by Kitten’s Joy out of Smoke Signals discovered a new passion in 2024, running on dirt. With the turf course closed for the winter, Smokin’ Hot Kitty and Manny Franco finished 3rd on February 23rd at Aqueduct. From there Kendrick Carmouche took over and won back-to-back races on March 16th and April 14th at Aqueduct. When the turf course reopened, Smokin’ Hot Kitty led three quarters of the way, but tired in the stretch to finish 8th. It was then decided that she was a dirt horse and won back-to-back races again, this time May 25th at the Belmont at the Big A meet and again at Saratoga on July 18th. Then came the big step up, Smokin’ Hot Kitty’s first stakes race, the Johnstone Mile Handicap on August 7th at Saratoga. Said trainer Horacio De Paz going into the race: “She’s just in good form right now. I’d rather run her than train her. Her weight’s really good, her appetite’s been really good. We let her breeze an easy three-eighths. She ate up and was happy.” She ran valiantly, sitting just off the lead and made her move in the far turn, however the heavy favorite, Sterling Silver, who was a veteran of many graded stakes races and ran in the Breeder’s Cup, waited until the stretch run and hit a gear that we couldn’t match, as Kitty’s first stakes race didn’t result in victory, but did find a place on the tote board as we came home with a third place finish. Following that race it was back to Belmont at the Big A where we were back in the Winner’s Circle, scoring a victory on September 22nd. In 10 starts, Smokin’ Hot Kitty won a record 5 races and finished third twice picking up earnings of $231,350. Paired with the win she had the previous year, Smokin’ Hot Kitty’s 6 total wins surpassed Blue Paynt as the winningest horse our stable has ever had.
See the other accolades for the year and past horses of the year here: https://www.americaspastimestables.com/horse-of-the-year/