Kitten’s Joy Runs Again

Kitten’s Joy, the Eclipse Award winner as the nation’s top male turf horse in 2004, will make his first start as a 4-year-old in the $250,000 Firecracker Breeders’ Cup Handicap today at Churchill Downs.

Owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey and trained by Dale Romans, Kitten’s Joy, a son of El Prado, hasn’t raced since finishing second over a yielding turf course to longshot Better Talk Now in the Breeders’ Cup Turf on Oct. 30 at Lone Star Park in Texas.

Edgar Prado, who rode Kitten’s Joy to victory in the Virginia Derby in their only other collaboration last July 10, has the mount today in the Firecracker, a Grade II at one mile.

This will be the fourth start at Churchill for Kitten’s Joy, who has won eight of 12 and earned $1,705,911. He is two for three over the layout.

The other entrants in the Firecracker are Old Forester, who has won four of 11, Senor Swinger, a course specialist who has five wins in eight tries over the layout, Parker Run, America Alive and Mighty Military.

Race of the day: Louvain, who scratched from the American Oaks on Sunday, and Conveyor’s Angel head a field of 12 3-year-old fillies scheduled to go in the $100,000 Flawlessly today at Hollywood Park. Louvain, an Irish-bred owned by Ed Gann and trained by Bobby Frankel, won her only previous start on the Hollywood Park turf course, winning a division of the Miesque in her U.S. debut Nov. 26. Victor Espinoza will ride.

One for the road: Middle Earth finished third behind unbeaten Lost In The Fog and talented Egg Head in the Riva Ridge Breeders’ Cup Handicap on June 11 and doesn’t find any such runners as he seeks his third win in the $150,000 Dwyer today at Belmont Park.

Gary Stevens will ride the 3-year-old son of Dixieland Band for owner Tracy Farmer and trainer Nick Zito in the Grade II at 1 1/16 miles.

Exotically speaking: An early pick four using Sugar Deputy in the first; High Value Target and Tizbrite in the second; Early Tide, Vegas Folly and La Chola in the third; and Turnbolt, King Of L.A. and Tricky Day in the fourth.

Winners: Previous day/meet total: 3/137. Money: Previous day/meet total: $23/$739.50. Total money bet: $932.