HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – From a speed-figure perspective, First World War had shown equal ability on dirt and turf. His connections, however, believe he is a little better on the grass. First World War proved his connections correct Saturday at Gulfstream Park, where he took over from the pacesetting Tocayo inside the eighth pole and held off a late run from Hammerstein to win the Grade 3, $175,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes by a half-length. Hammerstein finished 1 1/2 lengths clear of Tocayo. Freedom Principle finished fourth, followed by Edgartown, Quokka, Noted, the 6-5 favorite, and Deadpan. Agate Road was scratched and will be aimed at dirt race, according to trainer Todd Pletcher. First World War had won his debut on turf and finished fourth in the Grade 3 Bourbon, also on turf, at Keeneland from a difficult post. First World War finished second in a first-level allowance on dirt at Churchill in November and then second in the Mucho Macho Man Stakes at Gulfstream on New Year’s Day “I’d say he’s got a little more distance limitation on the dirt, I don’t think he can go two turns on dirt, so we thought we’d go back to grass,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “He can get the mile, and he went the mile and a sixteenth today. I don’t know how much farther he’ll go than that.” Jockey Tyler Gaffalione said after the race that First World War, a son of War Front, “gets over the grass a little bit easier.” :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. First World War was stalking Tocayo, but Gaffalione said he was confident he was going take that horse when he wanted. “My horse was traveling great,” Gaffalione said. “He relaxed beautifully for me, so that was key. I was pretty confident throughout.” First World War, owned by Qatar Racing and Hunter Vally Farm, covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.78 and returned $7 as the second choice. He earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 84. Hammerstein, coming out of a maiden win Dec. 23, ran a little inconsistent, but otherwise pretty well to be second in his first try against winners. “He’s a horse that’s still learning, he has a lot of talent, he just doesn’t know how to use it,” jockey Junior Alvarado said. “He broke a little flat-footed out of there and then I nudged him a little to be close and he almost run off with me coming to the first turn, had to check a couple of times. Then after that he relaxed beautiful. Turning for home, he shied from the left-handed whip, but he still ran a great race.” Noted, the heavy favorite, couldn’t overcome a wide trip and the slow fractions. “It’s hard to make up ground to begin with, but you can’t do it being four wide on both turns,” said Pletcher, who trains Noted. “It’s just the way it worked out from that post position, nobody’s fault.” Sweetest Chant: Life’s an Audible up in time Life’s an Audible, further off the pace early than his connections had planned, came with a strong late run under Irad Ortiz Jr. to get up in the final strides and win the Grade 3, $175,000 Sweetest Chant Stakes by a neck. Style Points, who came through an opening along the rail in deep stretch, finished second by a neck over Madame Mischief. Macanga, Pharoah’s Wine, Golden Ghost, and Milliat completed the order of finish. It was the first stakes win for Life’s an Audible, a daughter of Audible trained by Pletcher for owner Mike Repole. She had finished second in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo, eighth in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, and, in her 3-year-old debut, was second in the Ginger Brew. The Ginger Brew was run at a mile, where Life’s an Audible’s attempt to rally from last resulted in a runner-up finish to Ozara. :: Access morning workout reports straight from the tracks and get an edge with DRF Clocker Reports Off that result, Pletcher and Ortiz had wanted to be closer to the pace early on in the Sweetest Chant. But Life’s an Audible broke slow and Ortiz let her relax and was last of seven, but only five lengths back, while Macanga set fractions of 23.59 for the quarter and 47.06 for the half while being chased by Golden Ghost. Ortiz saved some ground down the backside, switched three wide around the far turn, was six wide in the lane, but was able to get up. “The filly’s smarter than we are because we wanted to be a little closer to the pace,” Pletcher said. “Last time, she stumbled a little bit, which cost her position.Today, she just didn’t really leave there and ended up being a little farther back than we talked about. The mile and a sixteenth helped.” Ortiz concurred with that assessment. “Last time, she was finishing. Today, she had time to get there,” he said. Life’s an Audible covered the 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.36, returned $5.80 as the favorite, and earned a Beyer Speed Figure of 85. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.