Photo: NYRA, Adam Coglianese
The marquee name among horses expected to run in the four stake races
on the New Year’s Day program at Gulfstream Park will be Stonestreet
Stable’s star filly
Kauai Katie. The daughter of Malibu Moon will get
her 3-year-old season underway in the $100,000 Old Hat Stakes (G3) at
six furlongs.
A $490,000 OBS March 2-year-old sales purchase, Kauai Katie was
brilliant winning her three starts in New York this year before tiring
to fourth last out after prompting the pace set by winner Beholder in
the $2 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) at Santa Anita on
Nov. 3.
“It wasn’t a bad race. It was probably a little farther than she
wants to go,” said trainer Todd Pletcher. “She’ll probably be best at
sprint distances for now and this is a good spot to get started. If that
goes well then we’ll look at the ($200,000) Forward Gal (G2),”
referring to the seven-furlong test on Jan. 26.
Kauai Katie drilled a sharp five furlongs in 59 4/5 Wednesday morning
at Palm Meadows. She won her career debut by 12 lengths at Saratoga on
July 20 and followed with rather easy scores in the Adirondack Stakes
(G2) at the Spa and the Matron Stakes (G2) at Belmont Park before the
trip to California.
Pletcher also reported on plans for Stonestreet’s other top
2-year-old filly of 2011, Dreaming of Julia, a winner of her first three
races in New York before finishing third in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile
Fillies.
Dreaming of Julia, a Kentucky homebred daughter of A.P. Indy, has
not yet posted a workout since arriving at Palm Meadows from California
after the Breeders’ Cup. Pletcher indicated that the first target for
her will likely be the $250,000 Davona Dale Stakes (G2) going 1 1/16
miles on Feb. 23.
Pletcher has E. Paul Robsham Stable’s 4-year-old filly R Holiday
Mood nominated for the $100,000 Ocala Stakes to be run at one mile on
Sun., Dec. 30, a race she won last year following a seven-month layoff,
but she will not be up to defending her title.
“I just ran out of time with her,” said Pletcher of the Florida
homebred daughter of Trippi. Following her victory in the Ocala, R
Holiday Mood came right back to capture the Hurricane Bertie Stakes (G3)
here in mid-February and finished a close-up fourth last out behind
2011 Eclipse champion Musical Romance in the Inside Information Stakes
(G2) in Mar. 17.