Faraway Kitten pounced on the leaders in the final furlong and clawed his way to a one-length win in the $200,000 Mystic Lake Derby on Saturday night at Canterbury Park.

Faraway Kitten and jockey Orlando Mojica clung to the fence most of the one-mile trip after breaking from the rail in this turf fixture for 3-year-olds, but when fast pace-setting Couch Trainer backed up quickly at the quarter-pole, things got a little tricky. Mojica swung around Couch Trainer with the intention of going for an outside run but when that avenue closed he steered left, Faraway Kitten willingly diving to the rail and finishing strongly inside Bizzee Channel to win by a length.

Mojica, riding Faraway Kitten for trainer Mike Maker and owners Ken and Sarah Ramsey, never had sat on the colt until Saturday night. Maker suggested taking up a stalking position after the break but when Faraway Kitten got away flat-footed, Mojica was forced to ride from the rear.

“I had a slow break, Plan B, sit behind the leaders and make a run,” Mojica said.

Maker and the Ramseys won this race for the second year in a row following Sniper Kitten’s victory in 2018.
Bizzee Channel got second over Dunph, also trained by Maker, who loomed a winner in midstretch before being outfinished by his stable-mate. The winner clocked 1:35.45 over firm turf and paid $4.40 as the favorite. Winning Number was scratched.

Faraway Kitten was bred by the Ramseys and is by their stallion, Kitten’s Joy, and out of Far Isle, by Indian Charlie. Faraway Kitten won for the fourth time in eight starts after moving from races in which he was entered for $50,000 and $100,000 claiming tags.