Ramsey hopes Bobby’s Kitten regains form in Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Few horses in Breeders’ Cup history have won in more amazing fashion than Bobby’s Kitten. A Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred, Bobby’s Kitten passed 13 horses in the stretch run of the Turf Sprint last year at Santa Anita, giving the Ramseys their third BC winner.

Things haven’t gone so well for Bobby’s Kitten this year, but that won’t preclude the 4-year-old from defending his title Oct. 31 in the BC Turf Sprint at Keeneland.

“We’re going to turn him back and hope he shows the same kick he did last year,” said Ken Ramsey. “I can’t retire him to stud off the two bad races.”

Based in New York with Chad Brown, Bobby’s Kitten has raced just twice this year, finishing seventh after forcing the pace in the seven-furlong Play the King Stakes on the Woodbine turf, then ninth when fighting jockey Mike Smith for much of the trip in the Shadwell Turf Mile last weekend at Keeneland.

“At 5 1/2 furlongs, we’ll just let him go,” said Ramsey. “The speed will outrun him early anyway, and hopefully he’ll have that punch to reel them in.”

The Ramseys have amassed the most meet titles (15) among owners at Keeneland and would dearly love to win a Breeders’ Cup race at their longtime home track. Their other BC wins from 35 starts came with Furthest Land in the 2009 Dirt Mile at Santa Anita and Stephanie’s Kitten in the 2011 Juvenile Fillies Turf at Churchill Downs.

“Other than win the Kentucky Derby, I can’t think of many things I’d much rather do in this game,” said Ramsey.

Besides Bobby’s Kitten, the Ramseys are planning on five other BC starters this year: Big Blue Kitten and Shining Copper (Turf), Stephanie’s Kitten (Filly and Mare Turf), Camelot Kitten (Juvenile Turf), and Sapphire Kitten (Juvenile Fillies Turf). The Ramseys have had as many as six BC starters in three other years – 2009, 2011, and 2014.

Meanwhile, Ramsey said International Star, the multiple graded stakes-winning colt who was scratched off the Kentucky Derby program with an injury, is on schedule to make the final derby of the year: the $200,000 Zia Park Derby on Nov. 25 in New Mexico.

“He’s training lights-out,” said Ramsey.