Emotional Kitten grabs Trinket in Mrs. Revere

Ken and Sarah Ramsey's homebred Emotional Kitten got up in time to deny Effie

Trinket in Saturday night's Grade 2, $205,100

Mrs.

Revere at Churchill Downs. Jockey Victor Espinoza, who had guided her to a

pair of Grade 1 placings over the summer in California, came in for the ride,

and the two clicked once again as Emotional Kitten notched her first graded

victory.

One of two Ramsey runners in the field, the Wesley Ward-trained Emotional

Kitten was joined by Quality Kitten from the Wayne Catalano barn. The two

daughters of Kitten's Joy employed contrasting styles, with contrasting results.

Quality Kitten tracked the early leader before retreating on the far turn, while

Emotional Kitten uncorked the winning move from well off the pace.

British import Zero Game showed the way through splits of :23 2/5, :48 2/5

and 1:13 on the good turf course. Poised just behind, on either side of Quality

Kitten, were the hedge-skimming Nellie Cashman and 3-1 favorite I'm Already

Sexy. Wider out, Frivolous crept into a stalking position nearing the far turn.

One who might have been expected to flash speed, Tapicat, instead dropped back

immediately from post 13 and never made her presence felt.

Swinging into the stretch, I'm Already Sexy and Frivolous launched their

bids, and Nellie Cashman threaded the needle on the inside. But all of their

efforts proved short-lived.

The rallying Effie Trinket bounded to the front with a good-looking burst of

speed, and soon established daylight. Further back, Emotional Kitten was

suddenly beginning to unwind, and she soon went in hot pursuit of the new

leader. Emotional Kitten forged a half-length ahead at the wire, finishing 1

1/16 grassy miles in 1:44 2/5 and paying $11.80 as the 9-2 third choice.

Another 1 1/2 lengths back in third came Dance Again, who had one length to

spare over the deep-closing Praia. Tapicat checked in fifth, followed by Nellie

Cashman, Frivolous, Keening, I'm Already Sexy, Quality Kitten, Allegheny Angel,

E B Ryder, Remember Then and the tailed-off Zero Game.

Emotional Kitten advanced her scorecard to 14-4-2-3, $357,533. The chestnut

dropped her first six starts as a juvenile, including a last-of-nine effort in

the Cinderella at Hollywood and a fifth in the La Senorita at Retama. Dropped in

class for a $75,000 maiden claimer at Gulfstream last December, she finally

broke her maiden. Emotional Kitten cleared her entry-level allowance condition

two starts later at Keeneland, prevailing in a photo, and came right back to get

the nod in the May 17 Hilltop at Pimlico.

Shipped out west, Emotional Kitten finished second in the July 13 American

Oaks at Hollywood, beaten a half-length by Emollient, and placed third to

Discreet Marq and Wishing Gate in the August 17 Del Mar Oaks. She lagged too far

off the pace last time in the October 12 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup and

left herself too much to do at Keeneland. Nevertheless, she acquitted herself

respectably to close the gap to just three lengths when reporting home seventh.

Channing Hill rode her that day, but Espinoza regained the mount on Saturday.

The Pennsylvania-bred is out of the stakes-winning Ghazi mare Silent Emotion,

making her a half-sister to multiple stakes victress and Grade 1-placed Unspoken

Word. This is the family of another Ramsey stalwart, globetrotting sprinter

Cannonball. A three-time stakes hero at home in New York, he was runner-up in

the Golden Jubilee at Royal Ascot, placed in a pair of Breeders' Cup races (the

Juvenile Turf and Turf Sprint), and even garnered a Group 3 placing during his

time with Gai Waterhouse in Australia.

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