Maddie’s Odyssey the first winner for turf champ Kitten’s
Joy
Champion turf male KITTEN’S JOY (El Prado [Ire]) was represented by his first
winner on Sunday when his daughter Maddie’s Odyssey prevailed by 1 1/4 lengths
in the 1ST race at Presque Isle Downs in her third career start. Unplaced in her
debut at Churchill Downs on May 14, the Bruce Wilcox trainee improved in her
next start, finishing second in a May 29 maiden special weight at Presque Isle,
before taking this one under Mike Allen in a time of :53 1/5 for 4 1/2 furlongs
over the Tapeta surface. Bred in Kentucky by Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey, who bred,
raced and stand Kitten’s Joy, the juvenile is owned by R.S.R. Racing Stable.
In 2004, Kitten’s Joy became the first American-based three-year-old in 14
years to win the Eclipse Award as best turf male. He finished first or second in
all eight appearances that season, and enjoyed two winning streaks of three races
during the course of the campaign. He kicked off the year with
scores in the Tropical Park Derby (G3), Palm Beach S. (G3) and American Turf S.
(G3), but faced his first setback when second by a head to Prince Arch in the
Jefferson Cup (G3). He rebounded to take the Virginia Derby (G3), Secretariat S.
(G1) and Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational (G1), the latter against older
horses. Kitten’s Joy was the 3-5 favorite in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1) at Lone
Star Park in his final run of the year, but wound up second behind Better Talk
Now (Talkin Man).
Kitten’s Joy returned to the races in the summer of 2005, winning the
Firecracker H. (G2) at Churchill Downs prior to a second-place effort in the
Arlington Million (G1). He was retired following that attempt with a line of
14-9-4-0, $2,075,791.
Produced from the winning Kitten’s First (Lear Fan), a half-sister to Grade 1
winner Down the Aisle (Runaway Groom), Kitten’s Joy is a half-brother to the
multiple Grade 1-winning mare Precious Kitten (Catienus) and the multiple stakes
winner Justenuffheart (Broad Brush), who in turn produced the champion juvenile
filly Dreaming of Anna (Rahy) and her multiple Grade 2-winning full brother
Lewis Michael. This is also the female family of Hall of Famer Spectacular Bid
(Bold Bidder) as well as Grade 1 winner Road Princess (*Gallant Man).
Kitten’s Joy resides at his owners’ Ramsey Farm near Nicholasville, Kentucky,
for a fee of $20,000 live foal.