Bobby's Kitten Back to Defend Turf Sprint

Since winning last year's Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. I) at six furlongs over the downhill turf course at Santa Anita Park, Bobby's Kitten was rested at Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Ramsey Farm near Nicholasville, Ky., and has not been a factor in two 2015 starts.

But Ken Ramsey is undeterred about the 4-year-old colt's chances to defend his title in the Turf Sprint renewal at 5 1/2 furlongs over Keeneland's turf course. In preparation for the Turf Sprint, Bobby's Kitten worked a half-mile in :47 4/5 on the dirt the morning of  Oct. 23. He went in fractions of :12, :24 1/5, and :47 4/5 and galloped out five-eighths in 1:00 2/5 and three-quarters in 1:15 1/5.

Trained by Chad Brown, Bobby's Kitten, a son of the Ramseys' leading sire Kitten's Joy  , has won five of 13 starts and earned $1,299,766.

"I thought he ran the most spectacular race of any horse in the Breeders' Cup last year," Ramsey recalled from Keeneland this week. "He came from dead last and nailed them at the wire. So we sent him to the farm and he was there over the winter."

In a belated return to competition in the Play the King Stakes (Can-IIT) at Woodbine in August, Bobby's Kitten was uncharacteristically on the lead early under Joel Rosario in a fast pace and eventually finished seventh.

"In his first start out we thought he would come from off the lead but Joel Rosario put him on the lead or maybe the horse put Rosario on the front end, but either way I didn't like the ride at all because Kitten's Joy's don't run that way," Ramsey said of the typical running styles of Kitten's Joy offspring.

With Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith in the irons for his next start, the Shadwell Turf Mile (gr. IT) at Keeneland Oct. 3, Bobby's Kitten was rank in a stiff hold from the rider, with the chart noting "fought restraint early."

"He choked him all the way trying to get him to lay back," Ramsey said of that performance."So maybe it wasn't the jockey but the horse."

Javier Castellano, who was aboard for a third in Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IT) two years ago, returns in the irons this year.

Ramsey said Bobby's Kitten was entered in the Turf Sprint rather than the Breeders' Cup Mile (gr. IT) "is because he will try to run off again but won't be able to against the speed horses in the Sprint. I believe Castellano will get him settled in the middle of the pack and pull a corker like he did last year at Santa Anita."