Emotional Kitten Wins Hilltop Stakes With Stretch Drive

Emotional Kitten Wins Hilltop Stakes With Stretch Drive

BALTIMORE, 05-17-13---Kenneth L. & Sarah Ramsey’s Emotional Kitten arrived late on the scene, reaching the front in the last two jumps to win the $100,000 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, the finale on the 13-race Black-Eyed Susan Day card at Pimlico.

Joel Rosario was at the controls as the Wesley Ward trainee beat six rivals in the 1 1/16-mile event contested over the firm turf. This was her third lifetime win and her first stakes victory. Emotional Kitten edged post-time favorite Summer of Fun for the win, with Zenara finishing third.

 The winner, who completed the distance in 1:41.98, paid $12.

HILLTOP STAKES QUOTES

Wesley Ward (trainer, Emotional Kitten, winner)– “She stumbled out of the gate and grabbed a quarter. She showed a lot of heart. I had this horse in at Churchill and decided to scratch and come here. The farther she goes, the better. We’ll go down to that race in Virginia (Grade 3 Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs on July 13).

Joel Rosario (jockey, Emotional Kitten, winner)– “She stumbled a little bit out of the gate and broke to the ground. She straightened out but I was so far behind. Hopefully, they were going fast up front so they’d come back to me. Off the final turn, we were steadily moving up and finished as the best horse in the race.”

About Pimlico Race Course

Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing's famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.

Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.