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Pair of Kittens punch Breeders' Cup tickets Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred juveniles KERA'S KITTEN (Kitten's Joy) and LISA'S KITTEN (Kitten's Joy) shipped in from Kentucky and captured the two turf stakes at Retama Park Saturday night, booking their passage to the November 6-7 Breeders' Cup at Oak Tree. Jockey Julien Leparoux made the trek to San Antonio to guide both Mike Maker trainees, who were each sent off as the 6-5 favorite in their respective events. "We are going to California!" beamed Ken Ramsey. In the $100,000 El Joven S. for males, Kera's Kitten forced the pace through an opening quarter in :24 1/5, vied for the lead through a half in :49 3/5, put his head in front when reaching six furlongs in 1:14 3/5, and kicked away to score by five dominating lengths. The dark bay completed one mile in 1:39 3/5 on the soft turf, paying $4.40, $2.80 and $2.80. B'wanagoldmine (Bwana Charlie) rallied for second, 1 1/4 lengths ahead of Prince Eddington (Eddington). Now unbeaten from two starts, with $75,000 in earnings, Kera's Kitten was a debut maiden winner on soft ground at Kentucky Downs on September 21. The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf (G2) would mark his first opportunity to race on a firm course. Out of the stakes-placed Mrs. K. (Dixieland Band), the Kentucky-bred Kera's Kitten is a half-brother to Irish highweight Port Bayou (Ghazi), Irish stakes scorer Lethal Agenda (Twilight Agenda) and multiple stakes winner and Grade 1-placed sprinter Talent Search (Catienus). His stablemate, Lisa's Kitten, had to overcome a world of trouble to prevail by one length in the $100,000 La Senorita S. for fillies. Rating near the back of the pack through splits of :23 2/5, :48 and 1:13 3/5, the chestnut was hemmed in and forced to check abruptly at the half-mile pole, but she was undaunted. Lisa's Kitten began her winning advance turning for home, then mowed down the leaders inside the final furlong to stop the teletimer in 1:39 4/5 for the mile. The winner returned $4.40, $3 and $2.80. Winning Tale (Tale of the Cat) collared Seasoned (Pulpit) by a neck for second. Lisa's Kitten improved her record to 5-2-0-1, $94,498. After finishing third and fourth in her first two outings, she tried stakes company in the grassy P.G. Johnson S. at Saratoga and wound up sixth. Back in versus maidens on the Belmont turf last out on September 25, Lisa's Kitten got up late by three-quarters of a length. She now rates as a contender for the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. The Kentucky-bred Lisa's Kitten is the first registered foal from Chianti Red (Woodman), and she hails from the family of French champion, classic winner and noted sire Caerleon (Nijinsky II).
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