Top turf stallion Kitten's Joy has a big Saturday

Kitten’s Joy, North America’s leading living turf sire every year since 2013, is currently in a pitched battle as he chases this year’s title, with the top five stallions on the earnings list separated by less than $677,000 through Saturday. Kitten’s Joy clawed his way to a tenuous lead over English Channel with an outstanding Saturday, as he was represented by a pair of new stakes winners – plus a pair of stakes winners as a broodmare sire.

Don Juan Kitten won the James W. Murphy Stakes on the Preakness undercard at Pimlico carrying the colors of Ken and Sarah Ramsey. That couple bred Kitten’s Joy and campaigned the 2004 Eclipse Award champion turf male. They then stood him for more than a decade at their Ramsey Farm before selling a 50 percent interest in the El Prado horse to Hill ‘n’ Dale Farm, moving him across Lexington in 2018.

The Murphy was the first stakes victory for Don Juan Kitten after he was second in the Grade 3 Saranac in his prior start, beaten a head by Bye Bye Melvin who he turned the tables on at Pimlico.

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The Ramseys also co-bred and sold Catman, who won his maiden in the Laurel Futurity earlier on the Pimlico card.

Kitten’s Joy was the broodmare sire of Fluffy Socks, who began the Saturday card at Pimlico by winning the Selima Stakes for 2-year-old fillies to improve her record to 2 for 3. Later in the day, Kitten’s Joy was the broodmare sire of Fire At Will, who won the Grade 2 Pilgrim Stakes at Belmont.

Kitten’s Joy had progeny earnings of $3,735,331 on the turf through Oct. 3, just ahead of Calumet Farm resident English Channel, in hot pursuit with $3,670,624 thanks to Channel Maker’s latest Grade 1 win on Saturday. They were closely tracked by War Front (Claiborne Farm) with $3,419,943, More Than Ready (WinStar Farm) with $3,317,603, and The Factor (Lane’s End) with $3,060,672.