Camelot Kitten Pounces Late in Pennine Ridge

Camelot Kitten | NYRA/Joe Labozzetta

Camelot Kitten, a full-brother to GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint hero Bobby's Kitten, made it two straight graded wins since the addition of blinkers in dramatic fashion here.

The GII American Turf S. upsetter, favored at 9-5, took advantage of his inside draw in this prep for the GI Belmont Derby Invitational and saved ground in midpack through the early stages as 101-1 longshot leader Toughest Ombre (Tale of the Cat) ticked off opening splits of :23.02 and :47.30.

He began to rally between horses while at least four wide on the far turn, hit the front in deep stretch and found the wire just in time. Highland Sky, a last out winner of Aqueduct's Woodhaven S. Apr. 23, overcame a very wide trip to finish a strong second.

Camelot Kitten ran great,” trainer Chad Brown said. “He got a terrific trip on the inside saving all the ground. Irad [Ortiz Jr.] worked out a beautiful trip with the horse. He's now two-for-two with blinkers and he's a horse that's starting to figure it all out.”

Ortiz added, “I got a perfect trip, I can't complain. I broke out of there and saved some ground. He kicked from the three-eighths pole, he was there when I asked. He's a nice horse, he does everything you ask. It's easier when you ride those kind of horses.”

A narrow debut winner over the Belmont lawn Sept. 12, Camelot Kitten rallied from far back after a slow start to finish a solid second in Keeneland's GIII Dixiana Bourbon S. Oct. 4. Unplaced in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Oct. 30, he began his sophomore campaign with a second-place finish as the chalk in a Keeneland allowance Apr. 13.

The winner's dam Celestial Woods was claimed by the Ramseys for $25,000 out of her career finale at Churchill Downs in 2007. She has a 2-year-old colt by Kitten's Joy named Starstruck Kitten and also a yearling colt by the Ramseys' flagship sire.

Saturday, Belmont Park
PENNINE RIDGE S.-GIII, $200,000, BEL, 6-4, 3yo, 1 1/8mT, 1:49.25, fm.
1–CAMELOT KITTEN, 121, c, 3, by Kitten's Joy
1st Dam: Celestial Woods, by Forestry
2nd Dam: Celestial Bliss, by Relaunch
3rd Dam: North Of Eden (Ire), by Northfields
O/B-Kenneth & Sarah Ramsey (KY); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Irad
Ortiz Jr. $120,000. Lifetime Record: 6-3-2-0, $398,520. *Full to
Bobby's Kitten, GISW, $1,359,766; and Major Magic, SW,
$155,887. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. [bullet ad=”eqb-eqb-cardio-scan-and-auction-client”][bullet ad=”kbif-g2g3″][bullet ad=”webb-carroll-another-wctc-grad”]2–Highland Sky, 121, c, 3, Sky Mesa–Kristi With a K, by
Petionville. O-Joyce Young & Gerald McManis; B-Bonner Young
(KY); T-Barclay Tagg. $40,000.[bullet ad=”equix-optimatch”]3–Call Provision, 115, g, 3, Lemon Drop Kid–Run In, by
Dynaformer. ($140,000 Ylg '14 SARAUG). O-Klaravich Stables
Inc. & William Lawrence; B-KatieRich Farms (NY); T-Chad Brown. $20,000.[bullet ad=”nick-de-meric-de-meric-stables-graduate”][bullet ad=”nytb-2000″]Margins: NK, NO, NK. Odds: 1.90, 2.75, 6.80.
Also Ran: Toughest 'Ombre, Hammers Vision, Dressed in Hermes, Converge, Azar, Kismet's Heels, Noble Quality.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.

 

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