Big Blue Kitten One to Beat in Red Smith

Image: 
Description: 

By Jerry Bossert



Ranked first among owners with $9.77 million in earnings this year, Ken and Sarah Ramsey can add to that total Nov. 15 when multiple grade I winner Big Blue Kitten goes to post in the $250,000 Red Smith Handicap (gr. IIIT) from Aqueduct Racetrack.



A field of 11 is signed on for the 1 3/8-mile turf battle, the seventh of a nine-race card Saturday with a scheduled post time of 3:14 p.m. EST.



Coming off a second-place finish in the $909,904 Pattison Canadian International (gr. IT) at Woodbine Oct. 19, Big Blue Kitten will be the starting highweight carrying 123 pounds including jockey Joel Rosario, who rode the 6-year-old horse in the Canadian International.



Big Blue Kitten, the 8-5 morning line favorite, has won only one of four starts in 2014, scoring in the $100,000 Lure Stakes at Saratoga Race Course Aug. 2. He has lost his past three starts.



In 2013, Big Blue Kitten, a son of Ramsey's top sire Kitten's Joy  , won four of eight starts, including consecutive victories in the United Nations (gr. IT) and the Sword Dancer Invitational (gr. IT) stakes. The bay is trained by Chad Brown, who had three Breeders' Cup winners two weeks ago and also saddled Expansion to victory in the 2009 Red Smith.



"He's really doing well," Brown said of Big Blue Kitten. "He's in great shape and this seemed like the next logical spot for him."



After finishing eighth in last year's Breeders' Cup Turf (gr. IT), Big Blue Kitten was given a break.



"He came out of the Turf very sore all over," Brown said. "He just needed some time off. More than we anticipated but he's continued to move forward and is holding his condition well."



Big Blue Kitten drew post 4 and will be spotting his competition anywhere from three to nine pounds.



"He's rounding back into form and we're happy with him," Brown said. "The plan is to race him next year and we're just going to continue to pick the right spots for him."



Rosario rode last year's winner, Imagining, to victory for trainer Claude "Shug" McGaughey, who has won the past three editions of the Red Smith. McGaughey won't have a starter in this year's race.

The 7-2 second choice on the morning line is Knickerbocker Stakes (gr. IIIT) winner Legendary, from the barn of trainer Niall Saville.



Previously raced in Great Britain, Legendary made his first North American start versus allowance company in April, and has been steadily improving ever since. In his most recent outing, the son of Exceed and Excel took the 1 1/16-mile Knickerbocker at Belmont Park by 1 1/4 lengths over grade I winner Up With the Birds.



Owned by Walter Swinburn, Legendary drew post 8 and will be ridden by Sheldon Russell.



Dynamic Sky, who finished third in the Canadian International, two lengths behind Big Blue Kitten, is the second starting highweight, carrying 120 pounds despite never having won on the grass in his career. Second, beaten just half a length in Woodbine's Northern Dancer (gr. IT) prior to the Canadian International, he is pegged at 6-1 for the Red Smith.



John Oxley's 4-year-old colt by Sky Mesa   has just won once from eight starts this year for trainer Mark Casse, taking an allowance race from Woodbine June 15 through a disqualification.



Trainer Todd Pletcher will saddle three horses in the Red SmithRed Rifle (10-1), Micromanage (8-1), and Unitarian (12-1)seeking to win his second Red Smith after Balto Star in 2003.

 

Red Smith H. (gr. IIIT)

Aqueduct Racetrack, Saturday, November 15, 2014, Race 7
  • 1 3/8m
  • Turf
  • $250,000
  • 3 yo's & up
  • 3:14 PM (local)
PP Horse Jockey Weight Trainer
1 Red Rifle (KY) Joe Bravo 117 Todd A. Pletcher
2 Margano (KY) Angel S. Arroyo 117 Arnaud Delacour
3 Dynamic Sky (ON) Cornelio H. Velasquez 120 Mark E. Casse
4 Big Blue Kitten (KY) Joel Rosario 123 Chad C. Brown
5 Micromanage (KY) John R. Velazquez 116 Todd A. Pletcher
6 St. Albans Boy (KY) Angel Serpa 114 Kelly Rubley
7 Calvados (ARG) Javier Santiago 115 Ignacio Correas, IV
8 Legendary (GB) Sheldon Russell 119 Niall Saville
9 Can'thelpbelieving (IRE) James Graham 114 H. Graham Motion
10 Unitarian (KY) Manuel Franco 117 Todd A. Pletcher
11 Manighar (FR) Fernando Jara 116 H. Graham Motion