Photo: NYRA, Adam Coglianese
For Kauai Katie, sprinting is old hat. So it’s fitting that the
speedy daughter of Malibu Moon will return to sprint racing Tuesday in
the $100,000 Old Hat (G3) on Gulfstream Park’s stakes-heavy New Year’s
Day program.
The Todd Pletcher-trained filly will make her 3-year-old debut
Tuesday after suffering her first career defeat in the Breeders’ Cup
Juvenile Fillies, in which she faded to fourth in the two-turn 1
1/16-mile stakes at Santa Anita on Nov. 2.
"It wasn’t a bad race. It was probably a little farther than she
wants to go,” Pletcher said. “She’ll probably be best at sprint
distances for now, and this is a good spot to get started.”
Based on her prior starts at sprint distances, Kauai Katie figures
to be heavily favored in the Old Hat, a six-furlong sprint carded as the
fifth race that drew a field of five 3-year-old fillies.
Prior to her first attempt around two turns, Kauai Katie captured
her first three career races by a total of more than 22 lengths. She
debuted at Saratoga on July 20 with a front-running 12-length triumph
over 5 ½ furlongs despite stumbling at the break from the rail post
position. The daughter of Malibu Moon came right back at Saratoga on
Aug. 12 to win the 6 ½ -furlong Adirondack (G2) by nearly three lengths
under a hand ride.
Kauai Katie put Stonestreet Stables in the Belmont Park winner’s
circle on Sept. 30 following a 7 ½ -length victory in the Matron (G2) at
six furlongs.
Rosie Napravnik, who has ridden the Kentucky-bred filly in all of
her starts, will venture from Fair Grounds for the return mount in the
Old Hat.
Kauai Katie drew the No. 1 post position, one stall in the starting
gate inside Power Lady, a promising daughter of Discreet Cat. Trained by
John Servis, Power Lady finished a troubled third in her stakes debut
in the $100,000 Smart Halo at Laurel Park on Nov. 3.
“She was in behind a wall of horses the whole race and turning for
home, she had an opening on the inside. She went for it and the horse in
front came down on top of her,” said Servis, whose filly was beaten by 1
¼ lengths.
Power Lady was an easy winner in her previous two starts, breaking
her maiden at Penn National by nearly 12 lengths on Sept. 13 and scoring
by nearly eight lengths in an entry-level allowance at Parx on Oct. 6.
“She showed pretty much from the get-go that she’s a pretty talented filly,” Servis said.
Power Lady will be making her graded-stakes debut in the Old Hat with a rather imposing rival in Kauai Katie.
“I’m glad she’s in the one hole and inside of me, but she’s also a
very talented filly,” said Servis, who saddled Smarty Jones to victories
in the 2004 Kentucky Derby (G1) and Preakness Stakes (G1). “This will
be a good test for my filly to see where she’s at.”
Joe Rocco Jr. has been named to ride Glorilu Stables’ filly for the first time in the Old Hat.
She’s All Scat, who is trained by Michael Pino, will seek her second
straight stakes score in the Old Hat. The daughter of 2007 Florida
Derby winner Scat Daddy fought back in the stretch to capture the
$100,000 Gin Talking Stakes at Laurel on Nov. 24. Her victory was her
second in four lifetime starts for Joni & Barry Butzow.
Joe Bravo has picked up the mount on She’s All Scat.
Cor Cor will also be seeing a second straight stakes victory in the
Old Hat, having captured the $75,000 Sandpiper at Tampa Bay Downs on
Dec. 1 by a half-length. Previously, trainer Joan Scott saddled the
daughter of Smoke Glaken for a debut victory at Keeneland by nearly
three lengths for owners Steve Ballou and Harriet Waldron.
Scott Speith, who guided Cor Cor to a half-length score in the Sandpiper, has the return mount.
Pinnacle Racing Stables’
Cupids Messenger rounds out the field. The
Bill Kaplan-trained daughter of Gottcha Gold has won one of seven
starts. Juan Leyva has been named to ride the Florida-bred.