Secretariat S. (gr. I)
(gr. IT , 10f ,)
KITTEN'S JOY
(CH h,
123
lb) $240,000
El Prado (IRE) —Kitten's First , by
Lear Fan
B—Sarah K. Ramsey,
KY.;
O—Ramsey, Kenneth L. and Sarah K.;
T—Dale L. Romans
Greek Sun
(DK B/ h,
121
lb) $80,000
Danzig —Sunlit Silence , by
Trempolino
B—Cheyenne Stables, LLC,
KY.;
O—Peter G. Angelos;
T—Robert J. Frankel
Moscow Ballet (IRE)
(B h,
119
lb) $40,000
Sadler's Wells —Fire the Groom , by
Blushing Groom (FR)
B—R. D. Hubbard and Constance Sczesny,
IRE.;
O—Tabor, Michael B. and Magnier, Mrs. John;
T—Aidan P. O'Brien
Margins: 3¼, 1¼, 1. Others: Simple Exchange (IRE) 123($20,000) , Cool Conductor 119($12,000) , Hazyview (GB) 119($8,000) , Up Anchor 119 . Winning Jockey, Jerry D. Bailey.
One week removed from winning the Whitney Handicap (gr. I) at Saratoga with Roses in May, the Ramsey family and trainer Dale Romans teamed up to send Kitten’s Joy out to a 31/4-length win in the Aug. 14 Secretariat Stakes (gr. IT) at Arlington Park. The 3-year-old son of El Prado covered the 11/4-mile distance over firm turf in 1:59.65.
The win by Kitten’s Joy was his fifth in six starts on the year and his fifth in stakes company. His only loss of the year came in the June 12 Jefferson Cup Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Churchill Downs on June 12 when he finished a head behind Prince Arch.
“He’s gotten a little better with each start and this was his best yet,” Romans said. “We’ve been pointing to this race since January. We never really had a plan for after this.”
The trainer said Kitten’s Joy would likely get one more start before the John Deere Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT) at Lone Star Park on Oct. 30.
It’s highly likely that the homebred Kitten’s Joy holds a special place in the heart of Ken and Sarah Ramsey. The dam of Kitten’s Joy, Kitten’s First, was one of the first horses ever purchased by the owners of Ramsey Farm near Nicholasville, Ky. Sarah Ramsey purchased Kitten’s First for $41,000 at the 1993 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Company’s March 2-year-olds in training sale from the consignment of El Nino Farm. She beat the males at Belmont Park as a 2-year-old that summer in her first start, then injured herself in the Junior Champion Stakes at Monmouth Park in her next race.
Kitten’s First is kept at Ramsey Farm where she produced a Catienus filly this year and has a yearling full sibling to that filly. The Ramseys own Catienus, a son of Storm Cat, who stands at Highcliff Farm near Delanson, N.Y. Kitten’s First has been given a rest from breeding this year.
El Prado is the sire of Kitten’s Joy and 51 other added-money winners. Among his 13 2004 stakes winners are Medaglia d’Oro (gr. I), Artie Schiller (gr. IIT), Timo (gr. IIIT), Senor Swinger (gr. IIIT), Shaconage (gr. IIIT), and Mi Pradera (PR-III). El Prado stands at Frank Stronach’s Adena Springs Kentucky near Midway, Ky. His 2004 fee was $75,000.—L.D.
