Kitten's Joy's First Sire Son in Europe

Ken Ramsey had a single goal in mind when he sent homebred Bobby's Kitten to Irish trainer Dermot Weld toward the end of 2015—getting a much desired stakes win at Royal Ascot. The Kentucky owner/breeder didn't envision at the time that his grade I-winning son of homebred stallion Kitten's Joy wouldn't be coming back home.

But Bobby's Kitten found a new home at Kirsten Rausing's Lanwades Stud near Newmarket, England, where he's been retired to enter stud next year at a fee of £12,500.

Bobby's Kitten never made it to Royal Ascot, but he did get European breeders' attention when he won the six-furlong Cork Stakes at The Curragh by 8 1/2 lengths March 28 on a course listed as heavy. His performance earned a Racing Post Rating of 117. Kitten's Joy's profile got a further boost several months later when Hawkbill won the group III Tercentenary Stakes at Ascot and then became the sire's first European group I winner in the Coral-Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park.

"We really didn't want to sell the horse, I wanted to stand him here in Kentucky," said Ramsey. Through bloodstock agent Dermot Carty, however, Lanwades made a compelling offer to buy Bobby's Kitten and make him the first son of Kitten's Joy to stand in Europe. "This is a good chance to get him started, and what tied the knot for us was that we got eight lifetime breeding rights to the horse. We are going to support the horse and send over some mares in foal now to Kitten's Joy."

Ramsey said he plans to shop at the Wildenstein Stables dispersal Sept. 28 at the Goffs Orby Sale for broodmare prospects. He'll be especially busy at Goffs because he is also selling two Kitten's Joy yearlings that day, including a full brother to Bobby's Kitten (Hip 428). Both yearlings will be consigned by Voute Sales. 

"I truly believe this is the best stallion prospect Kitten's Joy has produced so far," Ramsey said of Bobby's Kitten. "He is really a good-looking horse. And that Breeders' Cup win at Santa Anita where he came from dead last, that was a kick like you wouldn't believe. He can handle any type of ground." The 5-year-old out of Celestial Woods (by Forestry) won stakes at 2, 3 and 5. His biggest win came in the 2014 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (gr. IT) in which he was 12th out of 14 at the top of the stretch and closed to win by half a length on a track rated as good. 

Rausing said in a statement on the farm's website that Bobby's Kitten provides an important outcross sprinter/miler to complement the sire lines of Galileo and tail-male descendants of Danzig.

"Albeit a sire line descendant of the legendary Sadler's Wells, he fulfills the outcross role so seriously needed here," Rausing said. "Bobby's Kitten's notable affinity for turf racing, marvelous temperament and outstanding physique, together with his outcross pedigree, will make him a good match for the majority of European mares."

While Bobby's Kitten will not be syndicated, Rausing indicated she would be offering a limited number of breeding rights.