Keeneland: Ramseys in position for big weekend
A relatively slow start (1 for 7) to the spring meet can be easily forgotten by Ken Ramsey with a big upcoming weekend.
Ramsey, who with his wife, Sarah, more than doubled their own record for the most wins for an owner at a Keeneland meet with 25 last spring, not only will be looking to get a third horse into the May 3 Kentucky Derby but also is anxious to see his standout turf mare, Stephanie’s Kitten, in her 5-year-old debut.
[ROAD TO THE KENTUCKY DERBY: Prep races, point standings, replays]
Already assured of Derby berths with We Miss Artie and Vicar’s in Trouble, the Ramseys will have one of the favorites Saturday for the Blue Grass Stakes in Bobby’s Kitten, whose five prior starts all have been on grass.
Entries for the Grade 1, $750,000 Blue Grass were to be drawn Wednesday at a media breakfast.
“We all know that turf horses tend to run well on the Poly,” Ramsey said. “That’s the plan with this horse – have him run big and get us another spot in the Derby gate.”
The Blue Grass is one of five graded stakes on a 12-race Saturday card that starts at 12:35 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than usual. One of the supporting features is the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes, in which Stephanie’s Kitten, an earner of more than $1.6 million, will make her first start in more than eight months.
** Boisterous, a sharp winner of a high-end turf allowance here Saturday, likely will make his next start in the Grade 1 Man o’ War Stakes on May 11 at Belmont Park, trainer Todd Pletcher said.
Boisterous won the Man o’ War last year when still owned by his breeders, the Phipps family. The 7-year-old horse now has raced twice since being purchased by Gary Barber for $350,000 last November at the Keeneland breeding stock sale. His career earnings stand at $1,366,759.
** Keeneland has added a couple of features to its website that should be of interest to fans: a stewards’ report and a photo-finish archive. Both previously were unavailable to the general public.