Stephanie's Kitten Tops New York Field

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's multiple grade I-winning Stephanie's Kitten, figures to draw the most attention in Belmont Park's New York Stakes (gr. IIT) June 5. The New York, along with the Belmont Gold Cup Invitational Stakes and True North Stakes (gr. II) highlight the day-before-the-Belmont-Stakes card in Elmont, N.Y.



The New York, with a purse of $300,000, will be run at nine furlongs on the inner turf course.



Stephanie's Kitten, winner of last year's Flower Bowl Stakes (gr. IT) and the 2013 Just a Game Stakes (gr. IT), will race as part of an entry with Kitten's Queen for the Ramseys and trainer Chad Brown. Both runners are by the Ramsey's leading sire Kitten's Joy  .



Stephanie's Kitten has won nine of 20 starts, has earned more than $2.7 million, and comes into the New York off a win March 7 in the Hillsborough Stakes (gr. IIIT) at Tampa Bay Downs. She was second in her 2014 finale, the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT), behind eventual champion Dayatthespa.



Challengers include:



Mrs. Paul Shanahan's Waltzing Matilda, a 4-year-old old daughter of Danehill Dancer, making her U.S. debut off a series of stakes-placings against group company in Ireland.



Antoinette Oppenheimer's Eastern Belle, who has improved in a pair of U.S. starts this spring since coming from England to join Graham Motion's barn.



Orchid Stakes (gr. IIIT) winner Beauty Parlor, from the barn of Christophe Clement. Beauty Parlor was fifth last time out, beaten 3 3/4 lengths by grade I winner Rosalind in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (gr. IIT) at Belmont.



Juddmonte Farms' Riposte, fourth in the Sheepshead Bay and last year's New York winner for trainer Bill Mott.



Maximova, a Gallagher Stud homebred from New York who was second in the Sheepshead Bay and a four-time winner from 12 starts. She is also by international stud star Danehill Dancer, out of the stakes-winning Honoria, by Sadler's Wells.