Faraway Kitten steps forward again in American Derby

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. – Faraway Kitten failed to meet a $35,000 reserve at a yearling sale and on May 12 raced in a $50,000 claimer, but the colt is far away from those days now. On June 22 he won the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby as the 6-5 favorite and on Saturday at Arlington posted a 15-1 upset in the Grade 3, $150,000 American Derby.

Adam Beschizza picked up this mount at entry time and won back-to-back Grade 3 stakes Saturday, flawlessly piloting Faraway Kitten after engineering a great trip for Bandua in the Arlington Handicap.

“He was always going well for me and I got the gaps that I needed,” Beschizza said. “I wish all races were this easy.”

Mike Maker trains Faraway Kitten for his breeders, Ken and Sarah Ramsey. Faraway Kitten, a son of Kitten’s Joy and the Indian Charlie mare, Far Isle, won two of his first three starts but after a poor showing in a Gulfstream Park turf stakes in December and a third-place finish in the Rushaway Stakes at Turfway this past March, Faraway Kitten was dropped into a $50,000 claiming race.

He won that start easily and has been a different horse since, hitting a second straight peak Saturday after his Canterbury success last month. Breaking from post 3, Faraway Kitten settled in fifth around the first turn, took inside passage down the backstretch while inching up to fourth, followed favored Flying Scotsman into the homestretch, took his measure at the furlong grounds and prevailed by a neck. The Last Zip, who raced just behind the leaders through a quarter mile in 23.59 seconds, a half in 47.46, and six furlongs in 1:11.46, stayed on well to dead heat for second with Crafty Daddy, who closed from sixth. Bundibunan finished fastest but had too much ground to close and checked in fifth, while 7-5 favorite Flying Scotsman faded late to finish sixth in his first start since November. Flying Scotsman was caught three wide on the first turn and was “too aggressive” throughout the race, according to jockey Flavien Prat.

Faraway Kitten paid $32 to win after completing 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.72. Given his upward trajectory through the summer, he could be a candidate for the Secretariat Stakes here on Aug. 10, a race shortened this year to one mile from its traditional 1 1/4-mile distance.