Breeders’ Cup Photo ©
Camelot Kitten, a full brother to 2014 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint (gr. I) winner Bobby’s Kitten, gave notice that he could be a major contender for the October 30th Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. I) when he rallied impressively to win his debut at Belmont Park.
Despite his pedigree, Camelot Kitten was slightly overlooked in the wagering, being sent off as the 2.90-1 third choice in the 8.5-furlong maiden special weight. With Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle, the son of Kitten’s Joy settled near the rear of a six-horse field early on as Steamboat Bill set very slow fractions of :25.86, :50.52, and 1:15.31 over a course labeled “good.” But when asked for run when turning for home, Camelot Kitten unleashed an impressive rally, running his final five-sixteenths of a mile in about :29 1/5 to get up and defeat Steamboat Bill by a neck in a game performance.
Trained by Chad Brown and owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey–the same connections as Bobby’s Kitten–Camelot Kitten looks bound for stakes company off this winning performance. Having proven that he can unleash a strong burst of acceleration over good ground–and given the success of his brother on fast ground–Camelot Kitten should be a major contender in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf regardless of what ground conditions are found at Keeneland.
