Camelot Kitten established himself as the leader of the 3-year-old male turf division with his third graded stakes win this term, narrowly prevailing in an exciting stretch battle with last year's GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf runner-up Airoforce. The Ramsey homebred, 12th behind Hit It a Bomb (War Front) in that aforementioned thriller over the yielding going at Keeneland last fall, earned back-to-back victories by a head and a neck with blinkers added in the GII American Turf S. May 7 at Churchill and GIII Pennine Ridge S. June 4 at Belmont before coming up a bit short when fourth in the 1 1/4-mile GI Belmont Derby July 9.
Off as the 19-10 favorite in this turnback, the bay sat in a joint third, about two lengths off the lead, as Giant Run (Giant's Causeway) dictated a pokey pace of :25.08 and :49.17. Sent along three wide by Irad Ortiz, Jr. midway on the far turn, Camelot Kitten moved up in tandem with Airoforce to make three in a line at the top of the stretch. That trio battled to the sixteenth pole, and once Giant Run began to tire, Camelot Kitten outgamed Airoforce in a head-bobbing finish.
“I thought Irad worked out a really good trip,” winning trainer Chad Brown said. “The slow pace concerned me. The horse overcame a lot today. He didn't run that long ago; it wasn't a great rest between races. He came back and fired another good shot from a difficult post off a slow pace. I thought the horse ran great.”
Brown continued, “This horse has always shown a lot of talent, but he just wasn't finishing off his races the way he should. Since we put the blinkers on, it's his fourth great race in a row. It was the final piece of the puzzle for this particular horse.”
Pedigree Notes…
Camelot Kitten is a full-brother to 2014 GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint hero Bobby's Kitten and the stakes-winning Major Magic. His second dam is a half to MGISW/Champion grass horse Paradise Creek (Irish River {Fr}) and GISW's Forbidden Apple (Pleasant Colony) and Wild Event (Wild Again), while his third dam is a half to Champion grass horse and foundat sire Theatrical (Ire) (Nureyev).
Camelot Kitten's dam Celestial Woods was claimed by the Ramseys for $25,000 out of her career finale at Churchill Downs in 2007. She also has a 2-year-old colt by Kitten's Joy named Starstruck Kitten and a yearling colt by the Ramseys' flagship sire. She was bred back to Kitten's Joy this year.
Friday, Saratoga
NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING HALL OF FAME S.-GII, $200,000, SAR, 8-5, 3yo, 1 1/16mT, 1:41.76, fm.
1–CAMELOT KITTEN, 123, c, 3, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Celestial Woods, by Forestry
2nd Dam: Celestial Bliss, by Relaunch
3rd Dam: North Of Eden (Ire), by Northfields
O/B-Kenneth L. Ramsey & Sarah K. Ramsey (KY); T-Chad C.
Brown; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 8-4-2-0,
$603,520. *Full to Bobby's Kitten, GISW, $1,389,417;
Major Magic, SW, $155,887. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple
Plus* Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”eqb-eqb-cardio-scan-and-auction-client”][bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″]2–Airoforce, 117, c, 3, Colonel John–Chocolate Pop, by Cuvee.
($20,000 Ylg '14 FTKOCT; $350,000 2yo '15 OBSAPR). O-John
C. Oxley; B-Stewart M. Madison (KY); T-Mark E. Casse.
$40,000.[bullet ad=”fourstar-salesgrad”]3–Strike Midnight, 117, c, 3, Smart Strike–Gwenjinsky, by
Seattle Dancer. ($55,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP; $150,000 2yo '15
OBSMAR). O-Treadway Racing Stable; B-W. S. Farish & Lazy F
Ranch (KY); T-Leah Gyarmati. $20,000.[bullet ad=”bobo-purchasedtrainedsold”][bullet ad=”lanes-end-bredraisedsold”]Margins: NO, 3/4, NK. Odds: 1.90, 3.35, 7.10.
Also Ran: Giant Run, Isotherm, Unbridled Daddy. Scratched: Voluntario, Copingaway, Decorated Soldier.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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