2015 Eclipse Awards: Ken and Sarah Ramsey

Ken and Sarah Ramsey have essentially earned an annual reservation at the Eclipse Awards in recent years by believing in their own product and knowing when to believe in the products of others.

Last year, the Ramseys pulled off an unprecedented feat by sweeping the Eclipse Awards for outstanding owner and breeder for a second consecutive year. It was the fourth time the Nicholasville, Ky.-based couple won the owners’ Eclipse, having previously won it in 2004 and 2011.

That success has been driven by their homebred stallion Kitten’s Joy, whom the Ramseys have consistently supported with mares, to the point where the word “kitten” in a horse’s name has become almost synonymous with the Ramseys’ red and white colors.

Another stellar season by Ramsey-bred runners put the couple first on the North American breeders’ list by earnings with combined earnings of $9,352,485 and their 195 winners ranked third.

The 2015 season was highlighted by Stephanie’s Kitten’s score in the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf, followed later in the day by a third-place effort by multiple Grade 1 winner Big Blue Kitten in the BC Turf. Those two runners helped the Ramseys earn the John Deere Award for outstanding breeder during the Breeders’ Cup and its challenge series.

Other notable Ramsey-breds to compete in 2015 include Grade 3 winner Coalport, Grade 2-placed Emotional Kitten, and the Grade 3-placed Charming Kitten, Camelot Kitten, Wayward Kitten, Luck of the Kitten, and Sapphire Kitten.