Turf could produce Horse of Year

GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas -- The focus in today's Breeders' Cup at Lone Star Park will be on the $4 million Classic, and for obvious reasons. No fewer than six horses will try to claim the Horse of the Year title.

The connections of Pleasantly Perfect, Birdstone, Roses in May, the mare Azeri, Ghostzapper, and Funny Cide could all make a case for the championship should their horse win the Classic. However, it might be that none of them is the best horse, for the best horse could be Kitten's Joy, who will compete one race earlier in the $2 million Turf.

Kitten's Joy, a 3-year-old, bears a gentle name that belies a fierce nature. Co-owner Sarah Ramsey admits it's her fault causal fans think Kitten's Joy is a filly, explaining she puts "Kitten" in the name of all the offspring of her broodmare, Kitten's First, the dam of Kitten's Joy.

But the chestnut colt is far from cuddly. The son of Irish sire El Prado has won eight of nine starts on the turf, and is a head short of being undefeated over the lawn. At even-money in the Turf, he is the shortest morning-line favorite on the Breeders' Cup program.

"I never had any horse I can compare Kitten's Joy to," said trainer Dale Romans. "He's a superior horse. He does everything right. He has an amazing turn of foot. Any horse who can come home in :22 is very impressive."

Romans was referring to the move Kitten's Joy made while winning the Turf Classic at Belmont Park Oct. 2. In his first start against older horses, he ran the final quarter of the 1 1/2-mile race in :22 3/5 over a yielding course. It was an eye-opening move, to say the least.

Kitten's Joy is a homebred of Ramsey and her husband, Ken, who have a farm in Lexington, Ky. Romans knew right away he would be a good one, but they gave him two tries on the dirt first. He ran fifth in a dash at Saratoga last year, then finished second going a mile at Belmont Park later in the season. On Oct. 9, 2003, he broke his maiden by better than 4 lengths at Belmont in his grass debut. That started him on a five-race winning streak that extended through April. He was nipped in the Jefferson Cup at Churchill Downs June 12, then won his last three races.

"He had a turf pedigree, and when we breezed him on the turf at Saratoga, it made a big difference," said Romans. "We ran him on the dirt because we thought we could make him a Kentucky Derby horse. He showed his quality on the dirt, but when we tried him on the turf, he was something special."

The Ramseys and Romans could have a big day today. They also have Roses in May, a 5-1 shot, in the Classic, and the Ramseys have Nothing To Lose, a 7-2 chance in the Mile, who is trained by Bobby Frankel. Roses in May has won all five of his starts this year, but Ken Ramsey still thinks Kitten's Joy offers his best chance of a Breeders' Cup victory.

"My best shot of winning is Kitten's Joy," he said. "He has an exceptional kick. He had the same turn of foot on the dirt, but it was not as explosive as it is on the turf. Kitten's Joy is the one I really like."

One question in the grass races is how the Breeders' Cup horses will handle the 7-furlong turf course at this small racetrack. Following some heavy rains earlier in the week, it remains to be seen whether the course will be firm or yielding today. But none of that should bother Kitten's Joy.

"The ground doesn't matter," said Romans. "He's won on every sort of course [victories at Belmont, Churchill, Calder, Gulfstream, Colonial, and Arlington]. He's been galloping here, and going very well. He is doing great, he's never been better. If Pleasantly Perfect [the 5-2 favorite in the Classic] doesn't win, I think Kitten's Joy can be Horse of the Year if he wins the Turf."

There was some minor controversy involving Kitten's Joy's potential jockeys. Jerry Bailey had ridden him five times, but Bailey fell off a ladder and broke his wrist, missing six weeks. While he was out, John Velazquez rode him to victory in the Turf Classic. Bailey has been back for two weeks, but Ken Ramsey stayed with Velazquez.

"It's nothing against Jerry," Ramsey said. "I'm a friend of Jerry, but I had no guarantee he could come back 100 percent. John gave him a great ride in the Classic and I decided to stick with him. Jerry and I talked about it. He was not angry, he was disappointed. But I made the decision I thought was the best one."

The contenders in the Classic are all fine racehorses, and Pleasantly Perfect is outstanding, but only one horse on today's card has the chance to be brilliant. And that one is Kitten's Joy.