Churchill Downs 2005 Spring/Summer Meet
 Kitten's Joy © Turf Angels.com 2005 |
Kitten's
Joy is the Cat's Meow in Churchill's Firecracker After not racing since October 30th of last year,
Kitten’s Joy returned to his winning ways with a one-length
victory in the 16th running of the Firecracker Breeders’ Cup
Handicap (G2). Edgar Prado held Kitten’s Joy in fourth on
the rail for most of the race, never letting the pacesetter, Parker
Run, get more than 2 lengths ahead. As they turned for home, second
place finisher, Old Forester, surged to pass Parker Run beneath
Pat Day, but could not contend with the sudden stretch speed of
the turf champion, Kitten's Joy. |
“He went by me like I was not running,” Pat
Day said. “My horse dropped down and ran hard off the turn and into
the stretch and all the way to the finish. He just couldn’t run
with the winner.”
Also, swinging out a bit wide was America Alive, who finished third behind
Old Forester. The four-year-old Kitten’s Joy finished in1:35.25,
carrying the most weight of the six-horse field at 124 lbs. Senior Swinger,
last year's victor who finished 5th this year, carried the second heaviest
load at 118 lbs.
The 1 mile turf win was predictable because Kitten’s Joy is 2004’s
American Turf Champion. However, it may have come as a pleasant surprise
to trainer Dale Romans, due to the fact that since his last run (in the
Breeders’ Cup Turf on Oct. 30th) Kitten’s Joy underwent a
surgery to remove a bone chip in his left knee.
"I was very impressed with him, just like I always am," said
Romans. "He did everything I expected of him today. It was great
to see him come back like that."
Another surprise in this race comes with the distance. Only once before
has Kitten’s Joy ever ran at the 1 mile mark. The last time he ran
it was in 2003… on the dirt (the race was moved from the turf to
the dirt; he came in 2nd). Despite the talk, owner Ken Ramsey and trainer
Romans were not worried. Romans praised the multifaceted colt: “He’s
done it all (a mile, mile and an eighth, mile and a half…). He’s
a super horse."
Kitten’s Joy has come in the money 12 out of his last 13 starts,
winning all but 3 of those; his lifetime earnings equal $1,875,791 after
winning $169,880 in the Firecracker. His next appearance will be at the
Grade I Arlington Million.
Delta Princess Waits and
Wins Locust Grove
by Jamie Hamilton, Kentucky
Circuit
You almost had to be there to enjoy the 3-horse finish at Churchill Down’s $164,550, G3 Locust Grove Handicap on Saturday.
Delta Princess sat back on the slow pace, waiting until the very last second to unleash a burst of “Shock and Awe” speed on last year’s winner Shoconage for the win. In the middle of the stretch, it appeared to onlookers that early pacesetters Marwood and Shoconage would battle it out for first and second, positions that they had maintained over the 6-horse field (Baxter Hall was scratched) for the entire 1 1/8 mile trip.
That is until rider Brice Blanc brought Delta Princess
out wide and clear around the third turn. With under 100 yards to go,
Delta Princess began a power run that pushed her past the leading duo
for a half link win (1:48:90). Shoconage (Mike Smith) came in a head over
Marwood (John McKee) for second, and Katdogawn (Pat Day) came in 4th.
The race paid: $4.40, $2.60 and $2.20.
Blanc had this to say about the trip: “When we first turned for
home, I wasn’t so confident because they were going so slow and
I knew they were going to finish up. I was hoping that she had that (finish)
and she did. When she got in the clear, she just drew off. The last sixteenth
of a mile, she’s very powerful.”
The A.P. Indy sired, 6-year old Delta Princess, wining the Locust Grove
on a “firm” turf course, similarly won the June 4th Mint Julep,
her last race. In that race, she came from 4 links behind to beat Shoconage
again by 1 link. The Mint Julep and the Locust Grove Handicaps complete
Churchill’s spring, three-race turf series for mares and fillies;
the first was the Distaff Turf Mile on May 7th, won by Miss Terrible (Shoconage
came in 3rd).
Delta Princess is owned by Saud bin Khaled. Her trainer, Bill Mott, broke
a tie held with D. Wayne Lukas for career stakes victories at CD with
this race. The Hall of Fame-er trainers are now at: 68 (Mott)-67.
Other News:
Pat Day led My Ro to a 2-link victory over favorite Souris (Mike Smith),
in the $70,350 Lazer Show. Edge Sweep (47-1) came in third with Orlando
Mojica aboard; it paid $5, $2.40, $2.20. The Laser Show is for fillies
and mares ages 3 and up and is run on the dirt (track was fast).
Kitten's Joy Sparkles in Churchill Work
by Amelia Baldree
Kitten's Joy, 2004's Eclipse Turf Champion Male, had a public workout Wednesday at Churchill Downs. The chestnut son of El Prado was scheduled to breeze five furlongs on the Matt Winn Turf course between the 3rd and 4th races. Coming onto the track he warmed up nicely, but due to the extreme humidity from scattered thunderstorms and spots of rain, he began washing out on the neck.
Irregardless, the four-year-old colt went five furlongs in :59 1/5 effortlessly. Kitten's Joy is being pointed to the July 4 Firecracker Breeder's Cup at Churchill Downs as a prep for a 2005 campaign that includes the Arlington Million, Arc de Triomphe and Melbourne Cup as possible destinations. Kitten's Joy has 8 wins and three seconds in 12 lifetime starts with earnings of $1,705,911.
Racing Notes for 6/18 and 6/19
by Amelia Baldree
Ashado won the June 18 Grade I $300,000 Ogden Phipps Handicap at Belmont Park. Last year's 3-year-old champion has now won 10 times in 17 starts with earnings of $3,095,440. Ridden by John Velazquez, the Todd Pletcher-trainee is owned by Starlight Stables, LLC. Society Selection finished second and Bending Strings was third.
Happy Ticket won the June 18 Grade 3 Chicago Breeders' Cup Handicap at Arlington Park after shipping from her home base at Louisiana Downs. The 4-year-old daughter of Anet is undefeated in 9 starts with earnings of $382,260. This was her first graded stakes victory. Savorthetime was second, Injustice third and My Trusty Cat was fourth in the seven horse field. Happy Ticket is a homebred owned by Stewart Mather Madison and trained by New Orleans native Andrew Leggio, Jr.
Don't Get Mad After the Northern
Dancer © Laura Ferguson 2005
 Rush Bay in the Winners Circle © Laura Ferguson 2005 |
 Saint Liam Enters the Paddock © Laura Ferguson 2005 |
Kitten's Joy at Churchill Downs © Emily Hufford 2005 |
Kitten's
Joy Returns to the Work Tab Kitten's Joy, 2004's Eclipse Turf Male and one of the more popular horses in training, returned to the work tab at Churchill Downs with a breeze on Thursday. The 4-year-old son of El Prado worked four furlongs in :51. Dale Romans is pointing the chestnut colt to the $250,000-added Firecracker Breeders' Cup (Grade II) at Churchill Downs on July 4. Previously, Kitten's Joy had been galloping steadily at Churchill Downs for about a month. Notes From Churchill Downs: On Thursday, May 26, trainer Joe Woodard tied and then broke the record for number of consecutive wins for a trainer at Churchill Downs, a record previously held by Patrick Byrne. |
Woodard tied the record with Native Bull's win, and then
broke the record with Quick Blend, ridden by jockey Angela Owens, Woodard's
fiancee. Eight of his nine wins were for owner Billy Hays.
Apprentice jockey Jordan Charkoudian scored her first win at the Churchill
Downs meet. She won Friday's first race aboard Katze Frau in a $10,000
claiming for fillies and mares.
Ken McPeek's Sweet Talker, winner of the $100,000 Edgewood at Churchill
Downs in her last start, won today's feature race, an allowance for 3-year-old
fillies at 1 1/16 miles on the turf. She was bumped at the start and settled
on the inside before going five wide on the backstretch to win driving
by 1/2 length. This allowance was a prep race for the Regret Stakes on
June 18.
 Razor In Command © Emily Hufford 2005 |
Razor Wins the
Matt Winn Three-year-old Razor, who finished second to Afleet Alex in the Mountain Valley Stakes at Oaklawn Park earlier this year, won the Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs on Saturday. Ridden by Kentucky Derby hero Mike Smith for Padua Stables, Razor went to the lead and blew through blistering fractions of :21.70, :44.71, :56.57, and finished the race in 1:09.48, four lengths ahead of the good multiple stakes winner Crimson Stag, who had finished ahead of Razor in their previous meeting at Keeneland. Steve Assmussen trains the winning son of Concorde's Tune, who is out of the Medieval Man mare Silk Stocks. Sir Laff Alot finished third in a field of seven. |
Don't Get Mad Takes the Derby Trial ©
Amelia Baldree 2005
Don't Get Mad Wins the Derby
Trial
by Emily Hufford
Don't Get Mad will now force his connections to seriously consider a run for the roses after a breathtaking seven length win in the Derby Trial Stakes on opening day at Churchill Downs. The three-year-old son of Stephen Got Even is undefeated at Churchill Downs in three starts. B. Wayne Hughes owns the colt, and also owns Greeley's Galaxy, another Kentucky Derby contender. Hughes may have to choose between the two when it comes to the final entries, but that decision will wait until later this week.
Gallardo, a Bob Baffert-trainee, finished second, in front of Vicarage. Ron Ellis trains the winner, who was ridden to victory by Gary Stevens.
