Kitten's Joy wins stretch battle

In the end, it came down to a two-horse race. Kitten's Joy, the 8-5 second choice, and 6-5 favorite Artie Schiller hooked up at the top of the stretch and ran away from the rest of the field in the Grade 3, $500,000 on Saturday at Colonial Downs. In midstretch, Artie Schiller pulled ahead, but Kitten's Joy came back to win the 1 1/4-mile turf race for 3-year-olds by 2 3/4 lengths. Prince Arch ran late for third.

Jane's Luck opened a huge early lead in the Virginia Derby, setting fractions of 23.57 seconds, 47.30 and 1:11.50 - fast for a 10-furlong race. Kitten's Joy and Artie Schiller rallied as a team and caught Jane's Luck entering the stretch, and Kitten's Joy and Edgar Prado prevailed in what was essentially a match race.

The victory was the sixth in the last seven races for Kitten's Joy, an El Prado colt owned by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Dale Romans. Kitten's Joy ran the distance in 2:01.22 and paid $5.40.

* In the All Along, Film Maker won her first stakes since taking the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland last fall, running down pacesetter Noisette in the final furlong of the 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares.

When expected pacesetter Sand Springs broke slowly, Noisette took the lead from her outside post and set slow fractions of 25.85 seconds and 50.61. But the pace didn't matter to Film Maker and jockey Edgar Prado, who stormed past Noisette to win by three lengths in 1:50.08. Noisette held second and Lady Linda took third.

A 4-year-old Dynaformer filly, Film Maker is owned by Courtland Farm and trained by Graham Motion. She paid $4.40 as the favorite.

* Art Fan and Ryan Fogelsonger stole the Virginia Oaks, setting slow fractions and holding off 4-5 favorite Galloping Gal to win by 1 3/4 lengths. Vous, who pushed the early pace, finished third.

Art Fan ($13) led Vous through fractions of 25.58 seconds, 50.58, and 1:14.88 in the 1 1/8-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies. Art Fan spurted away to lead by 4 1/2 lengths in midstretch and won in 1:50.41.

The victory was the first in a stakes for Art Fan. Trained by Hamilton Smith, Art Fan is a homebred daughter of Lear Fan owned by William Backer.