Ballet Diva Steps Up in Old Hat

Jacks or Better Farm's homebred Ballet Diva had her way with state-bred competition around one turn in 2015 in South Florida at age 2 and steps up to graded company for her 3-year-old bow in the Jan. 2 Old Hat Stakes (gr. III) at Gulfstream Park.



The $100,000 race at six furlongs for newly turned sophomore fillies has drawn a select cast of six. It will go as race four (1:35 p.m. post) on the program.



By Journeyman Stud stallion Hear No Evil, Ballet Diva won four of six starts at 2 in South Florida with trainer Stanley Gold. One of her lone setbacks came in her only trip beyond a mile when she was sixth in the Florida Sire My Dear Girl Stakes Oct. 3. Prior to that she won three of four, all at Gulfstream, including the Cassidy Stakes at 5 1/2 furlongs and seven-furlong Florida Sire Susan's Girl Stakes worth $300,000. Cut back to six furlongs after the My Dear Girl, she wired the field in Gulfstream Park West's House Party Stakes Nov. 28.



Out of the stakes-placed Nureyev mare Dame Sylvieguilhem, thus a half sister to stakes-winning Flying Trip, Ballet Diva drilled five furlongs in :59.88 Dec. 19.



PTK's Dad's Kiddo, runner-up in the House Party, hopes to turn things around in the Old Hat. The Proud Citizen   filly, trained by Dane Kobiskie, was second in an allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Dec. 11. Dad's Kiddo, who will break from post three in the Old Hat, is out of the Doneraile Court mare I'm Daddy's Girl. I'm Daddy's Girl is out of the graded stakes-winning mare Screen Prospect.



Recent winners of the Old Hat: Ekati's Phaeton (2015), Sweet Whiskey (2014), and Kauai Katie (2013) all went on to capture additional graded stakes or place in grade I events at 3.