Ramseys to Run a String at Woodbine
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Photo: Keeneland/Coady Photography
Ken Ramsey and his wife Sarah plan to send approximately 10 horses to Woodbine
The good impression Woodbine management made on owner Ken Ramsey during some of his stakes wins at the suburban Toronto track encouraged the Eclipse Award-winning owner to commit a string of horses this year.
Ken and Sarah Ramsey plan to send about 10 horses to Woodbine for the meet. They will be under the supervision of trainer Mike Maker's assistant, Nolan Ramsey, one of the Ramseys grandsons. Ken Ramsey noted Nolan is engaged to former jockey Katie Clawson, who will work as an exercise rider with the string.
"Nolan is learning the game," Ken Ramsey proudly noted.
In 2016, the Ramseys scored a pair of big wins at Woodbine with Al's Gal in the E. P. Taylor Stakes Presented by HPIBet (G1T) and with Sir Dudley Digges in the Queen's Plate Stakes, the first race of Canada's Triple Crown. Ken Ramsey recalled celebrating that victory in the Queen's Room at Woodbine.
"After talking with the media, I had a chance to give a little speech," said the outgoing Ramsey. "I talked about how much I always look for Northern Dancer blood in mares I send to Kitten's Joy . That's been one of the keys to his success. They really appreciated that, of course. It went over really well."
Ramsey jumped at the chance to support this year's meeting, which begins April 21 and runs through mid-December.
"I like to patronize people who are nice to me and try to run their operation in an efficient manner and take care of people," Ramsey said of Woodbine Entertainment Group. "I've had good luck up there."
This month, Sir Dudley Digges won the Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup. Ramsey said the multiple stakes-winning son of Gio Ponti could show up during a stakes in the Keeneland spring meet, and Woodbine could be an option later in the year.
Ramsey would like to return to the Queen's Plate as well. This year, he's hoping to enter Hemp Hemp Hurray, an Ontario-bred who finished a close second in last year's Summer Stakes (G2T) on the Woodbine turf. Hemp Hemp Hurray won the Animal Kingdom Stakes March 31 at Turfway Park.