Tested Ekati's Phaeton Gives Old Hat a Try

When Ekati's Phaeton goes to the post in the $100,000 Old Hat Stakes (gr. III) Jan. 3 at Gulfstream Park, the filly will be starting a fresh season as a 3-year-old, but she'll be looking to start her sophomore season the same way she started things out at age 2—with a victory.

The daughter of Tale of Ekati   asserted her class from the get-go, when she scored a hard-fought nose victory to break her maiden at Gulfstream at first asking in August. The filly she beat that day, Danessa Deluxe, would go on to not only break her own maiden two starts later, but also win an allowance over the stakes-placed Moment of Delight.

In Ekati's Phaeton's next start against first-level allowance foes, she only got better. She earned an eye-opening speed figure on her way to an equally impressive 10 1/4-length victory. After a disappointing effort in the Our Dear Peggy Stakes on grass, Ekati's Phaeton returned to dirt and nearly came away with another victory in the House Party Stakes Nov. 29 at Gulfstream Park West. She was caught late that day by three-time stakes winner and stone-cold closer Leap Year Luck.

While the loss was Ekati's Phaeton's first on the main track, she still has not lost over the dirt oval at Gulfstream, a surface that may cater more to the filly's tactical speed than the deeper going at Gulfstream West. Trainer Bill Kaplan was left feeling encouraged after the House Party, enough to give the newly turned 3-year-old a chance to take what he believes is a step up to face the quality stakes horses at Gulfstream's championship meet.

"I think she's got a good opportunity to do well," Kaplan said. "She's learned everything quickly, and she's a very classy filly to train. She's really been no problem whatsoever, a really classy type of horse. She's a big, strong girl. She's getting bigger and stronger as she's going."

In preparation for the Old Hat, a six-furlong sprint, Ekati's Phaeton breezed four furlongs in 47.70 Dec. 28, fourth-fastest of 67 workers at the distance at Gulfstream that morning. 

 "She's in great shape," Kaplan said. "She had a good work the other day. I think she'll be very close to the pace or on the pace, and hopefully she'll run good and be able to handle the jump up in class. I think she's got a lot of talent."

The Todd Pletcher-trained Fashion Alert brings the highest credentials into the Old Hat and should be heavily backed at the window. The daughter of Old Fashioned   proved that debuting in stakes company was not much of a challenge, when she won the ungraded Astoria Stakes at Belmont Park in June by 4 3/4 lengths. She followed that right up with a win in the Schuylerville Stakes (gr. III) in July at Saratoga Race Course before suffering her first defeat in the Alcibiades Stakes (gr. I) at Keeneland Oct. 3.

Fashion Alert will break from the rail in the Old Hat under John Velazquez, who has been aboard for all three of the filly's races. 

Saturday's card will be highlighted by the Old Hat and the Dania Beach Stakes (gr. IIIT), while three listed stakes with purses of $100,000, including two main-track stakes for new 3-year-olds, also are scheduled.

Nine sophomores are expected to start in the Mucho Macho Man, a one-turn mile race formerly known as the Gulfstream Park Derby. Two of the more promising starters in the field will break from the outside in Mr. Amore Stable's Brother Bobo, who finished a close second in the Buffalo Man Stakes Nov. 29 at Gulfstream West; and Shadwell Stable's Mawthooq, who registered a 10 1/2-length maiden win Nov. 26 at Aqueduct Racetrack.

In the six-furlong Spectacular Bid, Buffalo Man winner It's Not Me will put his three-race win streak on the line against 10 other promising 3-year-olds.

Also on the card is the Ginger Brew Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf, where Ken and Sarah Ramsey's Right On Kitten will try to pick up her third win in as many starts after a stakes win at Retama Park. The 7 1/2-furlong turf race also has attracted Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes winner Nicky's Brown Miss.