Aqueduct: Kauai Katie easily wins prep for Acorn

As expected, Kauai Katie dominated three rivals in Sunday’s $75,000 Road Princess Stakes at Aqueduct, setting herself up for a return to top-flight competition in next month’s Grade 1 Acorn at Belmont Park.

Making her first start since Jan. 26, Kauai Katie glided to the lead coming out of the chute under Javier Castellano, then set comfortable fractions of 24.08 seconds for the quarter and 47.76 for the half-mile.

She repelled a token challenge from Kelli Got Frosty outside the quarter pole and was taken in hand late by Castellano while winning by 3 1/4 lengths. Kelli Got Frosty finished second by 3 3/4 lengths over Kimono. Secret Union was last while Cubicle Queen scratched.

Kauai Katie, who won for the sixth time in seven career starts, covered seven furlongs in 1:23.32 and returned $2.10 as the overwhelming 1-9 favorite. She is a daughter of Malibu Moon owned by Stonestreet Stables and trained by Todd Pletcher.

“I’d say that was pretty much textbook right there,” said Michael McCarthy, the New York-based assistant to Pletcher. “The plan was to go ahead and let her run away from there and finish up nicely. It seemed she controlled the race from the start, set some nice fractions, didn’t overdo it, go the job done.”

The Acorn, run as a one-turn mile, is a Grade 1. Kauai Katie has three Grade 2 victories and one Grade 3, but has not yet captured a Grade 1.

Pletcher and Castellano came back to win the nightcap with Roses for Romney, completing a $3.80 late daily double and putting the finishing touches on a pick six that returned $8,407.

Sunday was closing day at Aqueduct. Belmont Park opens Friday.

Despite going winless on Sunday, David Jacobson won the Aqueduct spring trainers’ title, 12-10, over Linda Rice, who won last year’s title with 13 wins.

Cornelio Velasquez was the leading rider for the spring meet with 24 wins, eight more than both Rajiv Maragh and Junior Alvarado.