'He was truly remarkable, a great, generational sire' - Kitten's Joy dies at 21

Multiple leading North American sire Kitten's Joy died on Friday in his paddock at Hill 'n' Dale Farms at Xalapa of an apparent heart attack. He was 21.

The son of El Prado was the pride and joy of his owner-breeders Ken and the late Sarah Ramsey, who bred him out of the winning Lear Fan daughter Kitten's First. The mare was the first racehorse bought by Sarah Ramsey, whose pet name was 'Kitten'.

Kitten's Joy was the fourth foal and first Graded stakes winner produced by Kitten's First. He won two of four starts at two and matured at three into the country's leading turf horse. He was named Eclipse champion grass horse for 2004 after winning the Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Invitational Stakes, Grade 1 Secretariat Stakes, and the Virginia Derby, Crown Royal American Turf Stakes, Palm Beach Stakes and Tropical Park Derby, all at Grade 3 level.

The Ramseys also were named Outstanding Owner for 2004, the first of five Eclipse honours they would receive.

The champion retired to stud at Ramsey Farm near Nicholasville, Kentucky after winning or finishing second 13 times from 14 starts and earning $2,075,791. He was a prepotent sire who topped the North American general leading sires list in 2013 and 2018 and was the leading turf sire for six consecutive years from 2013.

The Ramseys were recognized as Eclipse Outstanding Breeder and Outstanding Owner in 2013 having campaigned five Grade 1-winning homebreds by Kitten's Joy and another five Graded stakes winners. They won the dual titles again in 2014 with three homebred Grade 1 winners by Kitten's Joy.

"Ken Ramsey believed in him and almost willed the horse to greatness," said John Sikura of Hill 'n' Dale, who acquired half of the stallion in 2017 and relocated him to his farm. At the time, Ramsey felt the stallion's progeny was not getting enough respect at the yearling sales, despite his proven success, and had threatened to sell him to a farm in Europe.

"He is underappreciated here, and I don't think things will get any better," Ramsey said at the time. Sarah Ramsey had other ideas and jettisoned a deal her husband had put together with a farm in England.

Kitten's Joy with trainer Dale Romans at Lone Star Park in 2004, where he finished runner-up in the Breeders' Cup TurfCredit: Edward Whitaker

"I'm so happy she intervened," Ken Ramsey told BloodHorse. "She said he's a special horse, and she loved seeing him out on the farm."

Ramsey also got a call from Sikura, who made a convincing argument to keep the horse in the US and let Hill 'n' Dale manage him.

"I pleaded with him about why the horse had to stay here, and he gave us a great vote of confidence by giving us a made horse," said Sikura. "The horse always had a magnetic energy about him that you don't always see; you could see the vigour in him. Despite an arthritic knee, he was always on his toes going to the breeding shed.

"He was truly a remarkable sire and that term is probably used more often than it should. It should be reserved for the great ones and he was a great, generational sire."

Kitten's Joy was turned out in his paddock on Friday morning and left to graze peacefully. About an hour later, farm employees noticed he was lying motionless in the middle of the paddock.

Sikura said: "The word 'sad' is probably not the right emotion. It is more respect. Respect for what he accomplished and the privilege to have such a great stallion on the farm. He lacked nothing and lived a full life. He died almost peacefully; it was so abrupt and he didn't suffer. He was turned out in a beautiful environment eating grass and then took his last breath. It was a dignified way to pass."

Kitten's Joy will be buried at Ramsey Farm.

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