Trainer Mike Maker will saddle two sons of turf champion Kitten's Joy in the $50,000 WEBN Stakes at Turfway Park Jan. 30, one already a stakes winner and the other making his first foray into stakes competition. Both were bred and are owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey.
A one-mile race for 3-year-olds on the Polytrack, the WEBN Stakes is the second local prep for the Lane’s End Stakes (gr. II) on March 27. A field of 12 and one also-eligible was entered.
Kera's Kitten won the El Joven Stakes at Retama Park by five lengths in his second career start but finished seventh in his two subsequent starts. The second of those off-the-board finishes came in the Turfway Prevue Stakes on Jan. 2. Normally racing on or near the lead, Kera’s Kitten stumbled badly leaving the gate in the Prevue and never got into the race. Tom Pompell has the mount on Kera’s Kitten, who was entered but scratched out of the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Nov. 7 at Santa Anita.
Patti's Kitten began his career with a runner-up finish over seven furlongs on the Polytrack at Keeneland, closing strongly from last to finish just half a length behind the winner. He broke his maiden at Turfway in his second and most recent start, a one-mile maiden special seven weeks ago. John McKee was aboard for the maiden win and is back in the irons for Maker.
McKee and Pompell are currently tied atop the Turfway rider standings with 18 wins apiece.
Two others from the Turfway Prevue also return in the WEBN. Fish enters off two straight seconds, including the Prevue. The WEBN will be his first try around two turns. Rex Stokes III has the call for trainer Phil Sims.
Lucky Chuck was fourth in the Prevue after convincingly winning three of his previous four races, including the Indiana Futurity in the fall. Ben Creed is back aboard for trainer David Pate. Lucky Chuck also will try two turns for the first time.
Also entered are In the Paint, a month after his maiden win at Turfway; Rockin' Rockstar, a closer who broke his maiden at Turfway by seven lengths; Pathoki, disqualified from a nose win at Churchill Downs in November; Proud of Midway, a sprinter seeking his fourth straight win; Justamatteroftime; Big Bruin, who broke his maiden at Turfway New Year’s Day; Slewzoom, third in a state-bred stake at Hawthorne last month; and Mickejoe, who added blinkers for his 10th start as a 2-year-old and promptly broke his maiden at Mountaineer by more than 14 lengths.
Outclass remains on the also-eligible list pending Jan. 29 scratches.
$50,000 WEBN Stakes (Race 11, 5:45 p.m.), 3YO, 1 Mile (Polytrack) PP. Horse, Jockey, Weight, Trainer
1. Patti's Kitten (KY), J McKee, 117, M J Maker
2. In the Paint (KY), O Mojica, 117, K Gorder
3. Rockin' Rockstar (KY), T Farina, 117, M E Lauer
4. Fish (KY), R A Stokes III, 117, P A Sims
5. Pathoki (KY), R A Prescott, 117, L T Stevens
6. Proud of Midway (KY), V Carrero, 119, J D McKee
7. Kera's Kitten (KY), T L Pompell, 121, M J Maker
8. Lucky Chuck (IN), B Creed, 121, D E Pate
9. Justamatteroftime (KY), A Pusac, 117, J Riley
10. Big Bruin (KY), D Mernagh, 117, A Mitchell
11. Slewzoom (IL), T Riggs, 117, J C Wainwright
12. Mickejoe (KY), S Gonzalez Jr., 117, J Corrigan
Also Eligibles:
13. Outclass (VA), F De La Cruz, 115, K Gorder
