Napravnik wins the Secretariat aboard Kitten Mike Maker's Admiral Kitten won the Grade One Secretariat Stakes at Arlington in Chicago on Saturday. The three year old was partnered by Rosie Napravnik who had been in action at the Shergar Cup at Ascot the previous weekend. The rider has been breaking records in the US and added another to her haul in becoming the first female jockey to win this historic contest. Held-up in rear, the son of Kitten's Joy brought an end to a frustrating sequence of second placed finishes with a power packed finish in the stretch. Golden Jason and Rydilluc had cut out much of the early pace with French raider Visiyani prominent on the rail from a low draw and Yeager further back in the pack. Stormy Len moved forwards approaching the two pole as did favourite Jack Milton with the former hitting the front with a furlong and a half to run but Napravnik was already on the move. Admiral Kitten hit the front with half a furlong to run and ran on strongly to claim the historic contest from outsider Stormy Len with Jack Milton in third as the European raiders disappointed. "After four second-place finishes, we were due for a good trip one of these times," Maker told www.drf.com. "He had lost ground to the winners in those races, and Rosie saved ground on both turns here." It had turned out to be a huge afternoon for owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, as just moments earlier their Big Blue Kitten had won the Grade One Sword Dancer Invitational at Saratoga. Irish raider First Cornerstone finished eighth of the thirteen runners, under Chris Hayes for Andrew Oliver.
