By the numbers, Ken and Sarah Ramsey had a pretty good 2012 as Thoroughbred owners with 117 wins, 98 seconds, and 79 thirds from 555 starts.
Ken Ramsey walks Kitten's Dumplings into the winners circle.
Photo: Georgia Keogh
For the 12 months, their stable accounted for earnings of $4.83 million with average earnings of $8,717 per start. Their horses were in the top three 53% of the time.
Through not even a full 10 months this year, however, the Ramsey stable has blown away its 2012 statistics with 183 wins, 112 seconds, and 95 thirds from 680 starts. And 57% of their runners have finished in the top three.
More importantly, in terms of potential Eclipse Award votes, their horses have earned $10.6 million--about $4.7 million higher than Midwest Thoroughbreds in second. Ramsey horses have earned an average of $15,608 per start thanks to increase success in stakes.
The Ramseys have won 16 graded stakes for $4.6 million in earnings. In all, the stable has won 38 stakes from 157 starts so far this year.
Their latest grade I win came with Kitten's Dumplings in the $400,000 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup on the turf at Keeneland Oct. 12. The 3-year-old filly by Ramsey stallion Kitten's Joy "came out of the race fine" according to trainer Mike Maker and is a candidate for the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) Nov. 2 at Santa Anita Park.
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Two days of exception October weather in Central Kentucky helped Keeneland set attendance records according to figures released by the racetrack.
The Saturday, Oct. 12 crowd of 32,771, aided by a nighttime college football game at the University of Kentucky, was the largest ever for the fall meet and seventh-highest ever. The Friday, Oct. 11 attendance of 22,807 was the highest ever for a Friday during the autumn meet.
The top six all-time attendance marks (40,617 down to 33,621) were recorded during the spring meet for either the Toyota Blue Grass Stakes (gr. I) or Coolmore Lexington Stakes (gr. II).
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Robert Courtney Jr.'s 9-year-old Rahystrada, one of the more popular Kentucky-based horses of recent years, is among nine horses entered for the Sycamore Stakes (gr. IIIT) at 1 1/2 miles Oct. 17 at Keeneland.
Rahystrada, by Rahy, finished an even fourth in last year's Sycamore in his final start of 2012. The old-timer won the Arlington Handicap (gr. IIIT) earlier this year before finishing far back in his last start in the Arlington Million (gr. IT).
Rahystrada has two victories on the Keeneland turf course in his career.
