Bobby's Kitten is scheduled to enter quarantine in Florida this week in advance of being sent to trainer Dermot Weld for a 2016 European campaign, said Ken Ramsey Nov. 16. Ramsey owns and bred the 4-year-old Kitten's Joy colt with his wife, Sarah.
Bobby's Kitten, named after the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel and trained by Frankel's former assistant Chad Brown, won the 2014 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) at 6 1/2 furlongs over Santa Anita's downhill course. This year's Turf Sprint at 5 1/2 furlongs at Keeneland was too short for the late-running horse and Bobby's Kitten made a late run in the race but finished 2 3/4 lengths behind winner Mongolian Saturday.
"If he had won, we'd have retired him to stud to go out on top," said Ramsey. "If he was second, we would have thought about it. But he was fourth so we decided to let him run one more year, and hopefully it will turn out like Stephanie's Kitten (who won the 2015 Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf, gr. IT, after being offered at public auction and bought back in 2014). The plan is to bring him back for the Breeders' Cup next year at Santa Anita."
A successful European campaign would further the reputation of Kitten's Joy, who has proved to be the top sire of U.S. turf horses. The Ramseys have sold his sons Real Solution and Big Blue Kitten to stand stud at Calumet Farm.
Potential targets for Bobby's Kitten include the Dubai Golden Shaheen (UAE-I), Diamond Jubilee (Eng-I), July Cup (Eng-I), and the Haydock Sprint Cup (Eng-I).
Out of Celestial Woods, Bobby's Kitten has won five of 14 lifetime starts and $1,359,766 to date. He took the 2013 Pilgrim Stakes (gr. IIIT) and the 2014 Penn Mile Stakes but was lightly raced in 2015, facing the starter just three times.
[www.bloodhorse.com] Photograph - Keeneland Photo
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