Camelot Kitten to Questroyal North

Multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Camelot Kitten  will join the 2019 stallion roster at Questroyal North near Stillwater, N.Y., farm owner Barry Ostrager announced Jan. 15. The 6-year-old stallion will become the first son of leading sire Kitten's Joy  to stand in the Empire State.

Owned by his breeders, Ken and Sarah Ramsey, Camelot Kitten will stand as their property for $5,000 live foal. The Ramseys have been in the top 10 on the North American leading owners' list every year since 2009, and topped the list three times. 

Camelot Kitten broke his maiden at first asking at Belmont Park and became stakes-placed in his second start when he was second in the Dixiana Bourbon Stakes (G3T). He went on to compile a 6-3-0 record from 23 starts, with five of his wins coming in black-type stakes, four of them graded. His best performances came in the American Turf Stakes (G2T), National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame Stakes (G2T), Hill Prince Stakes (G3T), and the Pennine Ridge Stakes (G3T). He capped off his stakes performances by taking the 2018 Kentucky Cup Classic Stakes, and retired with $1,069,477 in earnings.

Camelot Kitten has five winning full siblings out of the Forestry mare Celestial Woods, including multiple graded stakes winner Bobby's Kitten, who took the 2014 Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) and now stands at Lanwades Stud in England for £10,000. His first foals are yearlings of 2019. 

Four other sons of Kitten's Joy will be standing for the first time in 2019: Roaring Lion at Tweenhills Stud for £40,000, Oscar Performance  at Mill Ridge Farm for $20,000, Hawkbill at Dalham Stud in Newmarket for £7,500, and Taareef at Haras du Mezeray for €6,000.

Kitten's Joy was the leading sire in North America in 2018—the second time he has reached the top spot in the last six years. He was a top-five sire the other four seasons. The 18-year-old son of El Prado also became the leading North American turf sire for the sixth consecutive year.

In 2018 Kitten's Joy set a personal single-season record of more than $18.6 million in progeny earnings. His runners have won more than 2,100 races worldwide and have averaged $97,825 per starter. He ranked second among the 2018 leading sires by number of winners with 177, only three behind leading sire Into Mischief , and was the leading sire by number of repeat winners with 80. Kitten's Joy is nine shy of reaching 100 black-type winners worldwide. He stands at Hill 'n' Dale Farms in Kentucky for $75,000 live foal.