Kauai Katie scares off competition in the Old Hat Stakes
The first graded stakes of the New Year for 3-year-old fillies in south Florida is the Grade 3, $100,000 Old Hat Stakes, but the 6 furlong dash on Gulfstream Park’s dirt course has only reeled in five entries, mainly because of Todd Pletcher trained Kauai
Katie being in the lineup, and yet to lose Joan Scott trained Cor Cor.
The special New Year’s Day program at Gulfstream Park will be highlighted by the Old Hat Stakes, and it will come as no surprise if the multiple graded stakes filly, Kauai Katie, kicks off her new campaign in winning fashion.
The Old Hat Stakes will be combined with the one mile long Gulfstream Park Derby, Ginger Brew Stakes, and the six furlong long Spectacular Bid to make up the stakes agenda on the New Year’s Day card. All these races are restricted for the newly turned 3-year-olds.
Stonestreet Stables’ Kauai Katie was regularly participating in sprints, especially in her first three starts, ranging from 5 ½ furlongs to 6 ½ furlongs, but stretched out to 1 1/16 miles in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies, and finished fourth
to winner Beholder at Santa Anita Park on 2 November, 2012.
She will again cut back to six furlongs for the Old Hat Stakes. Kauai Katie landed her first three races by a combined margin of 22 lengths, which includes her maiden win at 5 ½ furlongs, the Grade 2 Adirondack Stakes, and the Grade 2 Matron Stakes.
“We decided to take a shot and stretch her out in the Breeders’ Cup, and although she didn’t run badly, she didn’t excel like she does at sprinting,” said Pletcher. “The way the calendar is laid out at Gulfstream, with both the Old Hat and Forward Gal in
January, we felt we’d just take advantage of that and gear her up a little sooner, unlike Dreaming of Julia who’ll wait for the longer races.”
In all her four starts as a juvenile, Rosie Napravnik was aboard the filly, but the New Year will bring a change in partner, as Todd Pletcher calls in John Velazquez to ride Kauai Katie for the Old Hat Stakes, in which she will break from the inside post.
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