Kitten's Cat overcomes stumble, wins Juvenile Turf Sprint

ARCADIA, Calif. – A full day of racing drama began Saturday morning at Santa Anita when Kitten’s Cat started the Breeders’ Cup program with a 1 1/2-length victory in the $100,000 Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Ridden by Luis Saez, Kitten’s Cat overcame a brief stumble at the start of the 6 1/2-furlong race before settling into mid-pack and fanning out to make his winning run under steady urging. He paid $12 to win.

Joe Sharp trains Kitten’s Cat in Kentucky for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey. The 2-year-old colt is a homebred son of Kitten’s Joy.

Kitten’s Cat, most recently third behind Oscar Performance in the Grade 3 Pilgrim at Belmont Park, completed the “down the hill” distance in a hand-timed 1:12.23 over firm going. Oscar Performance won the BC Juvenile Turf here Friday.

Con Te Partiro rallied belatedly to be second, with front-running Awsum Roar settling for third. Both are Wesley Ward-trained fillies who were facing colts and geldings.

The $2 exacta (10-1) paid $64.40, the $1 trifecta (10-1-2) returned $221.10, and the 10-cent superfecta (10-1-2-6) was worth $188.30.

The Juvenile Turf Sprint opened the early pick five (races 1-5), which drew $1,831,627 in handle. It promises to be a huge wagering day here, as a carryover exceeding $500,000 in the $2 pick six (races 7-12) is likely to draw at least another $4 million in new handle.

The card started at 10:15 a.m. Pacific time.