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BREEDERS' CUP WORLD THOROUGHBRED CHAMPIONSHIPSNovember 1, 2014Chad BrownKenneth RamseySarah RamseyJoel RosarioARCADIA, CALIFORNIA THE MODERATOR: Ladies and gentlemen, the winner of the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint was Bobby's Kitten. We're joined by Joel Rosario and Chad Brown. Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey are making their way here, but we'll start with these two. Congratulations, gentlemen. Just an incredible finish. Joel, why don't you talk to us about the trip. I mean, you went 10 wide and then came flying. Just describe it to us. JOEL ROSARIO: Yes, he broke fine out of the gate. I was having a little bit of trouble in the beginning because he showed more‑‑ he broke well, and then a couple horses were in the way, and I kind of took a lot of time to really work it out, exactly where I wanted to be. Then after like a half of the race, I was on the inside. I was in hold. I could have been a little closer, but I can't. Then I just let it after everybody goes and coming around, then he showed a really good turn for home, so I was happy with this race. THE MODERATOR: Chad, your third winner on the weekend. Were you surprised to see him drop back that far? CHAD BROWN: Yeah, surprised and concerned. That wasn't really our plan. But as we know, horse racing when the gate opens, oftentimes it doesn't go to plan. A big key to getting Joel on this horse was thinking about this race down the hill. We put him on this horse at Woodbine last time out so we could get a feel for him with this race in mind. He's ridden this hill so well, I knew I wasn't going to have the advantage of having to race over the course, and I at least want a jockey that has experience down the hill and has won as many races as he has, and it all worked out. I was worried until about halfway through the race, I kind of figured out what he's doing, and he's going to try to make that one move and nail everybody, and he did. It was a little closer than I thought. Watching it live, I thought he was clearly the winner. And I just watched the replay right there, and I'm glad I didn't have to sweat out the photo. I would have been worried about it. JOEL ROSARIO: Yeah, I was going to say thank you to Chad for letting me ride him, and giving me the opportunity to ride. I was really happy about that. Thank you very much, appreciate it. THE MODERATOR: Chad, it's amazing not only because the quirkiness of the downhill turf course, but this was his first time sprinting. Can you just talk about coming to the decision to try this race? CHAD BROWN: Really just out of frustration because we think this horse is a miler and a really good miler. We've tried him farther than a mile, and obviously last year, right here at the Breeders' Cup, heavy favorite in the Juvenile Turf. We brought 12 horses here last year, and I clearly thought this was our best chance to win. The disappointment when he ran off in the race and was really uncontrollable, it's taken me the full year really to get over it until this win. I just thought that was one Breeders' Cup that got away with us. So rather than fight with the horse anymore, I figured let's just cut him back in distance and maybe they'll run away from him a little bit and he won't be fighting the riders so much, and it worked out well. THE MODERATOR: So everybody knows, this was Joel's third Breeders' Cup win, and Chad's fifth. Though, of course his third on this weekend. Chad, can you just talk about‑‑ there is still a chance we might see you again. You've still got two live horses. But can you talk to us about winning three Breeders' Cup Races, just what you're thinking today? CHAD BROWN: I tell you, it's an unbelievable feeling. I'm here doing the interview right now and getting the trophies and all of that. But it's really my staff. They work around the clock, and they're working right now getting these horses ready. Without them, and the patience of the clients, it's impossible. It's flattering, the question, but I'm just a front man accepting all of this. THE MODERATOR: We're waiting on Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey to join us here, but can you talk about their support of you over the last couple years and the success you've had together? CHAD BROWN: I tell you, it's my whole career. Because my very first winner as a trainer was at Churchill. My second starter, first winner ever was for Ken and Sarah Ramsey. And in this game right now, to be as loyal as they are to a trainer and through the ups and downs, they've been with me since the start and they've supported me all along, and I'm grateful. THE MODERATOR: Mrs.Ramsey has joined us, and Ken, we presume is on the way. But we have questions while we wait for Ken. Q. Do you envision him going back to a mile in 2015? CHAD BROWN: Yeah, at some point. We thought this year as well, but the mile race for a 3‑year‑old that gets older, even with wise being out, it was going to be a little too much for him. Hopefully by this time next year, and of course with the Breeders' Cup not being here and having the access to the downhill, I'd say we'd be working towards the mile next year if he's healthy. That would be my hope. Q. Can you talk about riding the downhill turf course in general? Chad was saying how important it was to have a rider with experience and success over it? JOEL ROSARIO: Yes, absolutely. They say the first time is a little bit trickier because you come out of the gate, and if you go left, you know, you're going to land in the ‑‑ you have over there. So you have to really exactly know where you're going. When you've been there a couple times, it makes it a little easier. Q. After last year, when you had 12 horses in here, and you were pretty optimistic going into last year's Breeders' Cup, coming into this one with 11, after what happened last year, do you think about that, the failures that didn't win? How does it affect you going into this Breeders' Cup? CHAD BROWN: You've got to keep looking forward. Last year we ran 12 horses and we didn't win any, but we had a lot of them run real well. Santa Anita has been good to us. We shipped out. We haven't won a Breeders' Cup every time we've come out, but most of the time the horses ship well and run well coming out here. We went back home after not winning one last year, and we just started to work on it the next day, working towards 2014. Again, with the help of the clients and my staff, month by month, we just started to gain more and more candidates to make it to championship day, and I'm lucky I have a big roster of them. Q. Do you have any race in mind, the Royal Ascot? And what will you be doing with your lovely Lady from yesterday? We hope to see her in Europe. CHAD BROWN: Well, potentially they're both candidates to go over there. I'll speak to the Ramseys about that. He knows the races better than me over there, so we'll just see how the horse comes out first. We're planning on giving him a little break. This horse has been steady with me since he's two. He's never left my care. So now might be a good time to give him a well‑deserved break right now and just plan into the future. He's only three years old. Ascot or not, he's got a huge career ahead of him, if he stays healthy. But beyond that, really, like I said, the Breeders' Cup Mile right at Keeneland in the Ramseys' backyard, that would be the big goal for me. THE MODERATOR: Joel, congratulations to you. JOEL ROSARIO: Thank you. THE MODERATOR: Mr.Ramsey, thank you for joining us and congratulations. This is your third Breeders' Cup winner. We've already had a chance to talk to Chad about how this race was run, but I'd like to hear your impressions, especially of the way this horse finished? KENNETH RAMSEY: Well, I was very disappointed when I saw him dead last. I thought, oh, my gosh, another Breeders' Cup nightmare. Then I saw him kicking it on the outside, and I looked at him, and I didn't know. When he hit the wire, I didn't know if he got it, and I looked around and said, Did he? Did he? Did he?" And they said, "Yes," and took off to the Winners Circle. THE MODERATOR: Your trainer is having an amazing weekend. Can you talk about your relationship with Chad over the years and the job he did with this horse? KENNETH RAMSEY: Well, I tell you what, Chad, the very first winner was owned by me. I don't know if he told you that or not. He did. I'm not too modest, you know. Anyway, he worked a long time with Bobby Frankel, a Hall of Fame trainer and that's where I got acquainted with him. When he went out on his own, we gave him some horses. He said if I give him some of those good Kitten's, he'd get in the Breeders' Cup. And I did, and he did. A promise made is a debt unpaid, so he's paid his debts. But this Breeders' Cup has been especially gratifying from the depths that aspired yesterday when we lost‑‑ I shouldn't say lost, but our horse, Vicar's in Trouble, who challenged for the lead briefly for a while, ended up pulling up lame, and he's back. We flew him back last night, so he has a condyle fracture and will have surgery in the morning and probably put two describes in. The good news it's not career ending, so in another six months, we'll probably be able to put him back in training if all goes well. But the Kitten's Joy have done amazingly well. I got a second in the one where Chad won, and I got a second one yesterday where Wesley won. So each of my two trainers or stablemates beat me. So today, for this one to come from behind like he did, that made everythingjust ‑‑ that's a sundae with the cherry on top, I should say. THE MODERATOR: Chad gets to keep training for a while? KENNETH RAMSEY: Yes, yes, yes. I got to talk to him about taking it over to Royal Ascot and running for the Queen. We discussed it briefly. But anyway, we're on top of the world, very ecstatic. THE MODERATOR: This was a very interesting path to winning a Breeders' Cup Race. Can you talk about a horse who has never sprinted before and then going and winning a Breeders' Cup Race? KENNETH RAMSEY: Well, Chad's very good to getting them to do something they've never done before. But the contrast last year, this horse was on the lead, and Blazing Fractions, :21.44 and change. Then to come from dead last today shows you the versatility. And he had to kick in the stretch. That's what's typical of those Kitten's Joys. So I made my stallion proud. We're not going to raise the stud fee. We're going to keep it $100,000, just like it was last year. But for the people that can't $100,000, we've got, trained by Chad Brown, the multiple Grade I winner Real Solution, so he's been retired from the farm to stand for $12,500. So I had to put a little promotion in on my stallion. THE MODERATOR: I think you've earned the time, that's all right. Gentlemen, thank you for joining us ask congratulations. CHAD BROWN: One last thing, the guy that brought us together really was Bobby Frankel. Ken met me in the barn working for Bobby. He had a lot of good horses for Bobby, that's how we met. Ken, it was his idea last year when I got the group of the Kittens in, and he said I gave you the best ones and we reserved one name: Bobby's Kitten. You don't have to use it this year. I saved it forever. So when you call me and tell me there is a horse that's worthy of that name, we're going to use it. But it's up to you. And the first crop after a couple months, I called him. I was between two horses. And one day I told him, he said don't get in a rush. You don't have to use it this year. I said all right. But I put them together, and this Bobby's Kitten beat the other horse by 20 lengths and I never work horses that way. I called him up. He wasn't even pulled up yet. I called him at the farm and said this is the horse. Put the name in before I change my mind, and he named it. KENNETH RAMSEY: And this is probably the very best Kitten's Joy I ever raised. We bred him on the farm and raised him, but he has the making of a stallion. All he needs is that Grade I behind his name. I also want to make recognition to Bobby Frankel's number one man for 30 some years, Umberto, who Chad invited to come to the races today, and he's in the Winner's Circle with us. It was an inspiration having him out there, because the horse was named for his mentor, Umberto. Unfortunately, like my wife, he's had a stroke, but he's in pretty good shape. CHAD BROWN: He's doing terrific. THE MODERATOR: Umberto, Bobby's long‑time assistant. CHAD BROWN: He's the man, I tell you. KENNETH RAMSEY: Umberto taught him a lot of what he knows. CHAD BROWN: Yes, I learned just as much from this guy as Bobby, and that's the truth. THE MODERATOR: Umberto just said Bobby's around here today. KENNETH RAMSEY: Yes, he is. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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