Maddie's Odyssey the first winner for turf champ Kitten's Joy

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.