Kitten Wins in France Further Ramsey’s International Aspirations

by T.D. Thornton

A bleak, chilly December afternoon in central Kentucky does not often spark visions of Royal Ascot in June, but it did on Wednesday for Ken and Sarah Ramsey when a pair of their Kitten’s Joy homebred first-time starters won overseas in France. 

Reached by phone at his Nicholasville, KY breeding farm, Ken Ramsey noted that the debut nine-furlong victories at Lyon La Soie by the colt Conquistadorkitten and the filly Eye Candy Kitten represent an undefeated 2014 juvenile foray into France for his operation (see French report below). 

Following a maiden win and subsequent listed stakes victory in the Oct. 25 Prix des Sablonnets at Nantes by the colt Jolly Good Kitten, the Ramseys are now pointing toward Royal Ascot with all three undefeated juveniles—and there are at least seven other yearlings entering training in the United States aiming to join them. The Ramseys also have a pair of unraced juveniles with Dermot Weld in Ireland. 

Ramsey said it’s all part of a master plan to extend his racing and breeding operation to an international scope, much of which rests on the broad, chestnut back of the Ramseys’ foundation sire, Kitten’s Joy. 

“Four-for-four isn’t too shabby,” said Ramsey. “It’s a very exciting day what we’ve done over in France. What we’ve now got is three Kitten’s Joys, undefeated in France, and one of them is already a stakes winner in his second start. So that’s a very auspicious beginning. All three of these horses are pointing for Royal Ascot—I’ve got that marked down on my calendar. I told my trainer [Gianluca Bietolini], look, do whatever you have to do with them between now and then, but the ultimate goal is to make sure we’re at Royal Ascot.” 

Jolly Good Kitten was the fifth European stakes winner lifetime for Kitten’s Joy, who ranks second only to Ireland’s Galileo on the TDN’s 2014 worldwide year-to-date turf earnings sire list (and first in North America). 

“John D’Amato, my right-hand man over in Europe, said that the papers are all talking about being [undefeated] with the Kitten’s Joys, that this may be the horse that replaces Galileo in Europe,” Ramsey said. “You don’t get much better accolades than that, to be put in the same breath as Galileo. They are closely related. Both of them are Sadler’s Wells-type stallions, Galileo being by Sadler’s Wells and Kitten’s Joy being by El Prado (Ire), who is by Sadler’s Wells. So this Northern Dancer [line] is really carrying on great over there and we hope to continue that.” 

Ramsey said he initially began campaigning his European contingent in Italy, but fiscal difficulties with racecourses in that country forced him to shift his focus to France. 

“Italy’s a bad place to run, because I still haven’t collected all my purses from 2012,” Ramsey revealed. “I’m not going to run if we don’t get paid, so we moved over to France. Plus there are a lot more racetracks over there in France than there are in Italy.” 

Ramsey said he has been pleased with the international attention Kitten’s Joy has received in the auction ring as well. He said a yearling colt that fetched £390,000 at Tattersalls in October seems like “a bargain to the buyer now” considering he’s a full brother to Wednesday’s first-out winner Conquistadorkitten. 

“Kitten’s Joy’s future looks pretty good,” Ramsey said. “We’ve got a bunch of ‘em in the pipeline from the best mares we’ve ever bred to him.” 

Ramsey said there is also international breeding interest in multiple Grade I turf winner Real Solution (Kitten’s Joy), who will be entering his first year at stud in 2015. 

“I got some real interest in Europe at standing Real Solution at stud,” Ramsey said. “We’re standing him here on the farm for $12,500. Broodmares who are either stakes winners themselves or have produced stakes winners get a discount on him. This year I’m going to breed about 50 or 60 of my own mares to him to get him off to a good start, but next year I plan on sending him to France. 

“I was told they could line me up 50 or 60 mares for sure in France next year for Real Solution. He’s very popular because he won his first three races over in Italy, and was the odds-on favorite to win the Italian Derby before coming down with a lung infection that compromised him for almost a year. He got back and won two Grade I’s and lost the other one by a nose.” 

Ramsey said next season’s international racing campaign will begin in March with an attempt at back-to-back wins in the Barbados Gold Cup. Major Marvel (Bernstein) scored last year carrying the red-and-white Ramsey colors; Gentlemen’s Kitten (Kitten’s Joy) will represent the stable at Garrison Savannah in 2015. 

“We’re sending probably four horses down to Barbados, and I’ve got Frankie Dettori lined up to ride,” Ramsey said. 

The Mar. 28 G1 Dubai Sheema Classic at Meydan will be the target for MGISW Big Blue Kitten (Kitten’s Joy). 

“Big Blue Kitten is probably going to stand here at stud on the farm [after 2015], unless I’m offered an offer I can’t refuse,” said Ramsey. “He’ll be going over to run in that $6-million turf race, and I hope to have a couple or three more over there [in Dubai]. I’m putting the plans together as I speak.” 

But the ultimate international goal for the Ramseys remains a win at Royal Ascot. 

“I’ve got seven yearlings with Wesley Ward that we’re sending down to Palm Beach, Florida, all of them are destined for Royal Ascot,” Ramsey said. “Of course, all of them won’t make it, but we’re sending them down there to get them ready, come back and run at Keeneland or Churchill Downs, and go straight to Royal Ascot.” 

He added, “I’m going to get this [first win at] Royal Ascot off my back. That’s been on my bucket list too long. I’ve got to get that taken care of this coming June.”