Ramsey said to scratch horses over conflict with trainer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ken Ramsey said Tuesday he is keeping the disagreement he had last weekend with trainer Chad Brown “a private matter” and that he would have no further comment other than “things are still being sorted out.”

Ramsey scratched all three of the horses he had entered in the Woodford Reserve Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard Saturday at Churchill Downs: Stephanie’s Kitten, who would have been one of the favorites in the Grade 1 race, Scrumpdilicious, and Coalport. Brown trains Stephanie’s Kitten, while Scrumpdilicious is trained by Joe Sharp and Coalport by Mike Maker.

Brown, an Eclipse Award finalist for the first time last year in the outstanding trainer category, also had Slumber in the Woodford Reserve – a conflict that did not sit well with Ramsey, according to one source. Slumber, owned by a partnership that includes Michael Dubb and Sheep Pond Partners, wound up finishing fifth at 6-1 in a field reduced to nine starters. The Woodford was won in a blanket finish by Finnegans Wake, the 7-2 favorite.

Brown said via text Tuesday from New York that he would have no comment on the matter. Brown trains for a number of top owners and frequently is represented in major races by two or more horses owned by different clients.

The horses scratched from the Woodford Reserve were not injured or sick. Unlike in overnight races, when a veterinarian’s excuse is required for a trainer to scratch a horse without penalty, horses can be scratched from a stakes race at the discretion of the owner or trainer.

The slew of scratches caused consternation among some horseplayers, as many had used Stephanie’s Kitten as the middle leg in the two-day wager linking the Kentucky Oaks, the Woodford Reserve, and the Derby in a pick three. Consolation payoffs were made in each case.

Even amid their private tiff, Brown and Ramsey teamed to win two rich races over the weekend at Belmont Park, with Big Blue Kitten capturing the $150,000 Fort Marcy on Saturday and Granny Mc’s Kitten winning an $80,000 allowance Sunday.

Ramsey and his wife, Sarah, have won the Eclipse for outstanding owner four times, including three of the last four years.