2001 - El Prado - Kitten's First by Lear Fan

Kitten's Joy winning the Grade One Secretariat Stakes

Kitten's Joy in the winner's Circle at the Grade One Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

Just click on the underlined link below here to see Kitten's Joy romp in the Grade One Joe Hirsch Turf Classic.

http://207.232.119.242/nyra/200410/joehirsch/index.html

The 2004 North American Eclipse Turf Champion, KITTEN'S JOY will enter the 2006 stud season at Kenneth and Sarah Ramsey's, Ramsey Farm located in Nicholasville, Kentucky.  The Ramsey homebred color bearer showed remarkable consistency while competing at the top level of competition during his campaign that extended to many of the racetracks of North America.

Kitten's Joy shows his impressive turn of foot in the Grade One Joe Hirsch Turf Classic

RACE RECORD : 

In 2004 KITTEN'S JOY posted a Championship Season with his 6 wins in the Secretariat Stakes (G1, 10FT), Joe Hirsch Turf Classic (G1, 12FT), Virginia Derby (G3, 10FT), Tropical Park Derby (G3, 9FT), Palm Beach S.(G3, 9FT), and American Turf S.(G3, 8.5FT), and his two seconds in the Breeders' Cup Turf (G1, 12FT, Lone Star Park), and the Jefferson Cup H.(G3,9FT). 

KITTEN'S JOY returned to action on July 4, 2005 with a victory in the Firecracker Handicap under top weight at Churchill Downs. In his solid victory in this one mile event, he spotted the runner-up nine pounds. The Champion improved his impressive record to 13 Starts with 9 wins and 3 seconds and earnings of $1,875,911.  Kitten's Joy added $200,000 more to his bankroll with a second place finish in just his second start of 2005 in the Arlington Million-G1 on August 13, 2005 to bring his earning to $2,075,911 to date.  He retires with a an excellent record of 14 starts, with 9 wins and 4 seconds.

KITTEN'S JOY seems to offer a pedigree that has the purist of sire lines coupled with a solid female family.  KITTEN'S JOY is inbreed on these wonderful sires as follows, Northern Dancer 3S x 5D, Tom Fool 4S x 5D, Turn-to 5S x 5D and Hail to Reason 5S x 4D.  Although inbred on these wonderful horses, KITTEN'S JOY is four generations free from any inbreeding.

MALE LINE: 

The sire line of KITTEN'S JOY is a long procession of leading sires in the countries in which these stallions were at stud.  Cyllene was the leading sire in 1909 and 1910, Phalaris in 1928, Pharos in 1931, Nearco in 1947 and 1948, Nearctic in Canada, Northern Dancer in North America in 1971 and in England/Ireland in 1976, 1977, 1983 and 1984, Sadler's Wells in England /Ireland in 1990 and from 1992 through 2002, and El Prado in 2003 when he was the leading sire in North America.  For nearly  a century, this is an unbroken line of sires who have lead the general sire's lists in their countries.  That is indeed a very pure line of great sires.

It is important to note that El Prado gets wonderful dirt horses as well as superior turf runners as exemplified by Grade One Medaglia d'Oro, an earner of $5,754,720.  A lot can be expect from KITTEN'S JOY who is 92.3 % in running first of second in his starts of which he has won 69.23% of his races.

FEMALE LINE: 

KITTEN'S JOY is the second stakes winner from his dam Kitten's First who is a daughter of Lear Fan.  Kitten's First very first foal was Justenuffheart, a stakes winner of  $373,229.  Kitten's First is a half sister to Grade One Stakes winner Down the Aisle and earner of $1,007,989, a stakes winner. Thus the female line of KITTEN'S JOY is not new to having a Millionaire in it or Grade One Stakes Winners.  The third dam of KITTEN'S JOY is the L'Enjoleur mare That's my Hon, the dam of Down the Aisle and herself, a half sister to Grade One Stakes winner Road Princess.  Road Princess is in turn the dam of Reign Road, a Grade Two Stakes Winner of $898,985.  The third dam of KITTEN'S JOY is the Prince John mare One Lane.  One Lane is a daughter of Danger Ahead, winner of the Molly Pitcher Handicap and Regret Handicap.  Danger Ahead, the fourth dam of KITTEN'S JOY is the third dam of one of the great racehorses of the 20th Century, SPECTACULAR BID.

This extension of an old solid Elmendorf Farm female line is one that can produce a horses as great as any horse that may have ever looked through a bridle as trainer Grover "Bud" Delp described the remarkable SPECTACULAR BID.

With stallions such as Roberto, Hail to Reason, Buckpasser and Prince John on the distaff side, it is difficult to find stronger broodmare sires in a pedigree.

Perhaps most important in the pedigree of KITTEN'S JOY is the presence of inbreeding to Rough Shod II, 6S x 5D.  Rough Shod II is one of the most important matriarchs in the last half century.

BREEDING TO KITTEN'S JOY:

Mr. & Mrs. Ramsey are proud to stand their homebred Eclipse Champion at their farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky.  The Ramseys will be welcoming  mares to KITTEN'S JOY for the 2006 Breeding Season. KITTEN'S JOY provides an opportunity for serious individuals to breed to a true champion racehorse and top quality stallion prospect that fits the new millennium and seems destined continue one of the most significant sire lines on earth, that of Sadler's Wells.

In looking at the success of El Prado as a sire, a good deal of outcross breeding has been successful in producing both turf runner and dirt runners.  In fact, two thirds of El Prado's ample North American Progeny earnings of over $45,000,000 have come from Dirt racing.

So much works well with El Prado that it seems like he should continue the line of Sadler's Wells quite well in North America. The superior dirt runner Medaglia D'oro, represents the Damascus line as does Champion Mia Pradera and Najavo Pearl.   Millionaire and graded stakes winner Chindi and the recent Grade One winner and millionaire stakes performer Borrego, as well as Timo and Cloakof Vagueness are crossed on the Alydar line.  The Mr. Prospector line is well represented by sires such as Miswaki, Woodman, Crafty Prospector, Seeking the Gold, Carson City, Afleet and Allen's Prospect all mixing well with El Prado. The outstanding stake competitor Artie Schiller furture demonstrates the fondness of the linking Raise a Native line mares with El Prado. 

In short, the success of El Prado is attributable to the fact that so many sire lines work well with him.  I have difficulty finding sire lines to rule out in selecting mares to breed to the El Prado sire line.  All of this leads me to the conclusion that Champion KITTEN'S JOY has the credentials to be an excellent stallion and the versatility of El Prado further underscores that KITTEN'S JOY will get dirt and turf runners.