Kauai Katie much the best in Old Hat

Kauai Katie's numerous backers were rewarded with mutuels of $2.20, $2.10 and

$2.10.

A dominating winner of her first three starts -- a Saratoga maiden by 12

lengths, the Grade 2 Adirondack by 2 3/4 lengths, and the Grade 2 Matron by 7

1/2 lengths -- Kauai Katie suffered her only setback to date in the Grade 1

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies at Santa Anita November 2. Racing beyond 6 1/2

furlongs for the first time, Kauai Katie tracked in second behind eventual

winner Beholder to the top of the stretch before fading to fourth in that 1

1/16-mile heat. Her career earnings now stand at $468,000.

"She's probably at her best at a little shorter distance than we tried in the

Breeders' Cup," Pletcher added. "Honestly, I don't think she really handled the

track that day, because as fast as she is, she was never pulling herself along.

She's probably better sprinting, but I'm not positive she liked the track that

day.

"We'll try the (Grade 3) Forward Gal (on January 26 over seven furlogs) and

go from there."

Bred in Kentucky by Spendthrift Farm, Kauai Katie was first sold for $90,000

as a Keeneland September yearling. She went to her current connections for

$490,000 as a Fasig-Tipton Florida two-year-old. She is out of the

stakes-winning More Than Ready mare, More Than Pretty, and her second dam is

Pretty Livia, who also produced stakes heroine Ingrid the Gambler. This is also

the family of Grade 3 winner Cimarron Secret and Grade 1-placed multiple stakes

victress Cojinx.

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