Kitten's Cat Wins Sire's Namesake in Kitten's Joy Stakes

The outcome of Saturday’s $100,000 Kitten’s Joy Stakes couldn’t have been scripted any better: Kitten’s Cat, a son of Kitten’s Joy, wins the race for the owners and breeders of Kitten’s Joy, Ken and Sarah Ramsey.

Ridden by Luis Saez, the 7-1 Kitten’s Cat needed every step of the stretch to collar the 30-1 pacesetter, Clyde’s Image, in the one-mile turf race for 3-year-olds. At the finish a head separated them, and it was another length back to Made You Look, the 1-2 favorite, in third in the seven-horse field.

Joe Sharp trains Kitten’s Cat, who finished fourth in the Dania Beach (G3) here Jan. 7. Ken Ramsey said today’s outside post position was an improvement over the draw his colt had in the Dania Beach. While Clyde’s Image and jockey Joel Rosario reeled off fractions of 24.70, 49.66, 1:14.07, and 1:25.24, Saez had Kitten’s Cat positioned in second and to the outside of the pacesetter. 

“He has to be on the outside to run his best race,” Ramsey. “He was pinned down on the inside last time. He got all fidgety and nervous and they couldn’t get him out. We drew Post [7] instead of Post 1, and I think that was the difference.”

The final time was 1:36.41 over a firm course.

Kitten’s Cat, who captured last year’s Juvenile Turf Sprint at Santa Anita on the Breeders’ Cup undercard, returned $17.80 for a $2 win bet.

Source: Gulfstream Park