Carroll Has Twirl in the Blushing KD

With two scratches on the board, the path to the winner’s circle at Fair Grounds may have become a little more wide open in the $75, 0000 Blushing KD Handicap, one of six stakes events scheduled on Saturday afternoon in New Orleans. Prior to those scratches, the morning line favorites for the filly and mare 1 1/16 turf event were Artemus Kitten, coming from the outside post at 3-1, and Class Included at 7-2 and carrying high weight of 119 pounds, one more than her chief rival. Seven are now expected to go to the gate.

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Long time between wins for favorite

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For five-year-old Artemus Kitten, the Blushing KD will mark her ninth straight stakes race this year, although she has not won since February when she took the Jersey Lily Stakes at Sam Houston by 1 1/2 lengths as the 3-5 favorite. She had moved right up to graded-stakes company for two of her last three, picking up the place in the Grade III Modesty Handicap at Arlington, before running eighth in the Grade I Beverly D. in a very good field. She’s been away for two months after a very dull seventh in the River Cities Stakes.

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Twirl looking for first win stateside

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Class Included comes into this following a six-length win in the $150,000 Treasure Chest Stakes run at a mile on the dirt at Delta Downs.  Prior to that she was a distant fourth on the dirt in the Grade II La Troienne at Churchill. Her last turf effort was a second in a mid-level allowance at Keeneland three starts back. Woodbine’s Josie Carroll has the Irish-bred Twirl (5-1) , who has yet to find the winner’s circle in four starts since shipping over, although she’s been in the money twice. She cuts back in distance and gets her fifth different rider.

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