Saffron Hall preps for Claiming Crown in turf-mile feature

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Ken Ramsey is a busy man these days.

He and his wife, Sarah, won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf last weekend with their homebred mare Stephanie’s Kitten and sold her a few days later for $2.8 million.

“We bought a couple of nice broodmares to breed to Kitten’s Joy yesterday,” Ramsey said Friday from his Nicholasville, Ky., farm, referring to the ongoing Keeneland November breeding stock sale. “I’m going to buy some more today. I’m reinvesting in this business.”

In the meantime, Ramsey remains as active as any owner in day-to-day racing. As the leading owner at the recent Keeneland and Belmont Park fall meets, he is plotting a course to the Claiming Crown – in which, of course, he is the all-time leading owner – with a handful of horses, including Saffron Hall, who will prep for the Dec. 5 series at Gulfstream Park by returning from a layoff of nearly a year in the Sunday feature at Churchill Downs.

Saffron Hall won the Claiming Crown Emerald last December and then remained in training for nearly two months until suffering an injury that required him to return to Ramsey Farm, where “he spent some time in rehab and on the Aquatread,” said Ramsey.

Since returning to trainer Mike Maker’s care this summer at the Trackside training center, Saffron Hall has been sent through nine recorded workouts since late August. The 8-year-old gelding will return to action Sunday with Robby Albarado aboard when entered for an optional $62,500 claiming tag and breaking from post 6 in a $60,000, second-level allowance scheduled for a mile on turf.

An oversubscribed field of 14 3-year-olds and up is entered in the ninth of 10 races, although only as many as 10 can start. One other allowance (race 8) also is on tap Sunday.

After Sunday, Churchill goes dark for two days before another five-day week resumes Wednesday. First post daily is 12:40 p.m. Eastern.

KEY CONTENDERS

Saffron Hall (Last 3 Beyers: 98-96-90)

◗ This Ontario-bred gelding didn’t even begin his career until he was 5, but he’s been very productive, winning 10 of 19 starts, including 7 of 10 since Ramsey claimed him for $25,000 at Tampa Bay Downs in January 2013.

◗ Maker shows a 16 percent win rate from his last 70 starters returning from layoffs of more than 180 days while also showing better-than-average numbers in other categories applying to this race.

Patrioticandproud (Last 3 Beyers: 77-92-91)

◗ Like Saffron Hall, this gelding is entered for the $62,500 option after having exhausted his second allowance condition. He takes a substantial drop in class for trainer Mark Casse after finishing ninth in the Grade 3 Sycamore last month at Keeneland.

Great Minds (Last 3 Beyers: 74-74-85)

◗ Owned by nose tackle Vince Wilfork of the Houston Texans, this 4-year-old gelding takes a notable stretch-out to two turns for trainer Al Stall Jr. following a series of turf sprints in which he tended to kick late.