ARLINGTON: FARAWAY KITTEN SCORES IN GIII AMERICAN DERBY

By Grant LaGrange —-

Faraway Kitten; Arlington Park Photos

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill. (July 13, 2019) –

Faraway Kitten grinded his way to a victory in the GIII American Derby at Arlington International Racecourse on Saturday, a prep race for the GI Secretariat on Arlington Million Day on August 10. A field of eleven was sent to post for the 1 1/16th mile journey over the Arlington turf course.

A Ken and Sarah Ramsey homebred, Faraway Kitten sat mid pack in the early stages of the race as the first flight went a first quarter in:23.59, and a half-mile in: 47.46. Around the turn, Faraway Kitten snuck up the rail before swinging out to take on the leader. At the sixteenth pole, Faraway Kitten kicked away and scored a half-length victory in a final time of 1:41.72.

“It was a good trouble free trip,” said jockey Adam Beschizza who won 2 of the 4 stakes races on the day. “This horse has a good engine and feels like he can run for days. I’m just glad all the openings came at the right time and this horse did it in good fashion.”

Faraway Kitten now has a lifetime record of 9-5-0-2; with the GIII American Derby becoming his first graded stakes victory. Four of his five victories have come on the turf course, with one of his wins being on the Woodbine synthetic main track. He is the 3-year-old son of Kittens Joy, and has now won three of his last four.

#3 Faraway Kitten paid $32.00 to win, $8.80 to place, and $6.60 to show in his American Derby victory. There was a dead heat for second between #12 Crafty Daddy who paid $3.00 to place and $3.40 to show and #9 The Last Zip who paid $4.00 to place and $5.20 to show.