By Steve Sherack
Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Oscar Nominated (Kitten's Joy) outslugged an ultra-game Azar (Scat Daddy) by a neck to pull off a 23-1 shocker in the GIII Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati Spiral S. at Turfway Park. It was another neck back to Surgical Strike (Red Giant) in third. Claimed by the Ramseys for $75,000 last October, Oscar Nominated entered off a win in the grassy Black Gold S. at Fair Grounds Feb. 27. Although not nominated to the Triple Crown, Ken Ramsey pulled no punches where his charge is headed next despite never racing on dirt before.
“We're going to the Derby one way or another,” Ramsey revealed. “We love this horse, I bet him pretty well. I thought that he would finish in there. He had been showing a lot in his training moves and these Kitten's Joys really love the Polytrack all over, so we thought we had a big shot.”
Oscar Nominated earned 50 points toward the Kentucky Derby for his upset win in the Spiral. The Ramseys also owned 2014 Spiral hero We Miss Artie (Artie Schiller), who followed with a 10th-place finish on the First Saturday of May.
Ramsey continued, “He'll be in the Derby if he comes out of the race well. If someone wants to pay the $200,000 supplemental fee, we'll split whatever I earn out of his next three races and he'll go in the Preakness and the Belmont assuming everything is okay. I'm pretty optimistic about him.”
Oscar Nominated made the first three starts of his career for his breeder Amerman Racing and Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott, capped by a maiden win in a $75,000 seller at Belmont last October. The chestnut switched hands that day, then reported home a close second in a Nov. 20 Churchill allowance in his 2-year-old finale while carrying the Ramsey red-and-white colors for the first time. Subsequently freshened, he placed a close second to One Mean Man (Mizzen Mast) in the Keith Gee Memorial S. at Far Grounds Jan. 31, then turned the tables on that one next time in New Orleans.
Making his first start on synthetic here, Oscar Nominated raced back off the pace in a perfect spot in sixth as Azar and GI Hopeful S. winner Ralis (Square Eddie) mixed it up through opening splits of :23.22 and :48.23. Oscar Nominated began to roll with a five-wide sweeping move on the far turn. With Azar holding a narrow advantage while hard ridden into the lane, Oscar Nominated fought his way to the front in the shadow of the wire to punch his ticket to Louisville. Surgical Strike, winner of the local prep John Battaglia Memorial S. Mar. 12, rallied from far back after taking the final turn about 10 wide to finish a close third. Favored Airoforce (Colonel John) faded to eighth after racing a bit headstrong early.
What would a Derby win mean to Ramsey?
“I'd probably ride him in [to the Derby winner's circle] and have someone give me a leg up,” Ramsey replied with a laugh. “All my life I have dreamed of something like that happening.”
Oscar Nominated's dam Devine Actress, heroine of Santa Anita's 2010 Santa Lucia H. in her career finale during the synthetic era, has a 2-year-old colt by Kitten's Joy, a yearling filly by Point of Entry and was bred back to Ghostzapper.
Saturday, Turfway Park
HORSESHOE CASINO CINCINNATI SPIRAL S.-GIII, $500,000, TP, 4-2, 3yo, 1 1/8m (AWT), 1:51.12, ft.
1–@OSCAR NOMINATED, 123, c, 3, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Devine Actress, by Theatrical (Ire)
2nd Dam: Devine Beauty, by Mr. Prospector
3rd Dam: Magical Holiday, by Slew o' Gold
O-Kenneth L & Sarah K Ramsey; B-Mrs Jerry Amerman (KY); T-Michael J Maker; J-Brian Joseph Hernandez Jr. $282,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-2-0, $371,860. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Werk Nick Rating: A.
[bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”lynwood-stable-broke”]2–Azar, 123, c, 3, Scat Daddy–Miss Ocean City, by Mineshaft. ($300,000 Ylg '14 KEESEP). O-Alto Racing, LLC; B-Mike Connelly (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher. $94,000.
3–Surgical Strike, 123, c, 3, Red Giant–Preemptive Attack, by Smart Strike. O/B-Edward A Seltzer & Beverly Anderson (KY); T-Ben Colebrook. $47,000.
Margins: NK, NK, NK. Odds: 23.60, 8.00, 8.00.
Also Ran: Two Step Time, Ralis, Don't Be So Salty, Kasseopia (GB), Airoforce, Strike Up the Band, Jensen, Swagger Jagger, That Makes Sense. Scratched: Diplodocus, Crescent Drive.
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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