by Pete Denk

With $6-million in purses up for grabs, the four Breeders’ Cup World Championship races for two-year-olds could determine the North American freshman and juvenile sire titles.

There are a total of ten horses by six U.S.-based freshman sires entered in the Breeders’ Cup. Half of them are by Kitten’s Joy, including Dean’s Kitten, who would need to draw in off the also-eligible list of the $1-million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (G2).

Kitten’s Joy currently ranks second on the freshman sire list behind Roman Ruler with progeny earnings of $933,391. (see freshman sire chart page xx).

Kitten’s Joy, the champion turf male of 2004, stands at Ramsey Farm in Nicholasville, Kentucky. His stud fee was $20,000 in 2009.

All five of Kitten’s Joy’s Breeders’ Cup entrants are Ramsey Farm homebreds.

“We’re ecstatic with how the Kitten’s Joys have been running,” said owner Ken Ramsey. “It would be huge for our operation to win the freshman sire title. This horse hasn’t been bred to many outside mares. We claimed a bunch and bought a bunch of mares and foaled them out to him. To have our stallion up there that we have supported primarily ourselves, it would be a credit to our farm manager, our geneticist, and validate our program.”

Roman Ruler, who leads all freshman sires with progeny earnings of $1,056,096, only has one Breeders’ Cup entrant. His one contender appears to be a good one, however, as two-year-old filly Connie and Michael, a 7 ¾-length winner in her career debut at Keeneland Race Course on October 17, is one of the main threats in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1).

Roman Ruler, a multiple graded stakes winner at two and Grade 1 winner at three, stands at Hill ‘n’ Dale Farms in Lexington. His stud fee was $20,000 in 2009.

Pollard’s Vision, Leroidesanimaux (Brz), Offlee Wild, and Limehouse all are within striking range of the top spot among freshman and juvenile sires. Multiple Group 1-winning freshman sire Oratorio (Ire), who stands at Coolmore Stud in Ireland, will be represented by Beethoven (Ire) in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile (G1).

Giant’s Causeway leads the juvenile sire list with $1,165,341. Giant’s Causeway has two chances to preserve or add to his lead: Viscount Nelson in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf and Eskendereya in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile.

Pete Denk is sales editor of Thoroughbred Times

Freshman sires in the 2009 Breeders’ Cup