Sharp high on juvenile Broughton Kitten

It’s the time of year when soon-to-be 3-year-olds begin to ease their way into the racing spotlight. On Saturday at Golden Gate Fields, 2-year-olds stretch out to a mile in the $75,000 Gold Rush Stakes in preparation for the California Derby and Grade 3 El Camino Real Derby, a race that offers qualifying points for the Kentucky Derby.

The Gold Rush has attracted Broughton Kitten, whose first two starts have been at Indiana Grand and Churchill Downs. Owned and bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Broughton Kitten is by their outstanding sire Kitten’s Joy. His first two starts, a maiden victory followed by a third in an allowance race in which he was beaten only a half-length, came on turf.

“Mr. Ramsey obviously has several young horses that are stakes horses, and he wants to keep them separated,” said trainer Joe Sharp.

The Gold Rush was obviously attractive enough to the connections to merit a flight to the West Coast. Sharp said the colt will return to Fair Grounds in Louisiana after the race.

Kitten’s Joy is known as an outstanding turf sire, and Sharp has enjoyed success with runners on turf. But racing over Golden Gate’s Tapeta surface makes sense to Sharp and the Ramseys.

“Many turf runners have been successful over synthetic tracks. That’s what we’re expecting,” said Sharp. “We’ve had limited experience over Tapeta but have done well on Poly. The bottom line is good horses can run on anything.”

Sharp said the colt “moved forward mentally” in his second start. He was chosen to come to Golden Gate because “he’s a big, hardy horse. We feel he can make the trip.”

Sharp is excited about Broughton Kitten’s potential.

“It’s easy to get out of bed when there’s a 2-year-old in your barn that’s promising,” he said. “So far, so good.”

In addition to Broughton Kitten, No Problem, the winner of the Grade 3 Bob Hope at Del Mar, and recent maiden winner Rye Patch were listed as likely entrants. The filly Star’s Woman also was listed as an entrant, but trainer Blaine Wright said Monday she was unlikely to run.

Star’s Woman, an Elusive Quality filly, has won two straight one-mile races on turf here. Both victories came by a head, and a start in the Gold Rush would mean switching surfaces and meeting males.

“There’s really nothing out there for her,” said Wright, who has checked condition books at Santa Anita, Turf Paradise, and Golden Gate. “It only cost $50 to nominate and take a look at who else was in. She’s still kind of learning how to run. She’s shown a great turn of foot, but she still runs a little green when she takes the lead. She’s got some learning to do.”

Coming back in only two weeks is probably too soon, so Wright doubts she will run, although the final decision hadn’t been made as of Monday.

Jerry Hollendorfer has nominated three runners but hadn’t finalized plans early in the week, though Golden Nugget Stakes winner Stalk the Wildcat was unlikely to run. Outstanding teen rider Ricardo Gonzalez, who has become Stalk the Wildcat’s regular rider, said he’s excited about his first “Derby horse,” although he said he’s not really thinking about the first Saturday in May.

“It’s hard to look that far ahead,” he said. “He looked like the real deal in [the Golden Nugget]. I’ve been working him, and it helps. Getting on him like I do, I know how good he is.”

Gonzalez couldn’t ride Stalk the Wildcat this weekend anyway because he’ll be serving a suspension.