Princess Katie's next start: Kent Stakes or Supernaturel

According to trainer Rob Gilker, Princess Katie came out of her dramatic win in the $50,000 Irish Day Stakes for 3-year-old fillies last Sunday in good shape and will make her next start in either the $50,000 Kent Stakes at Emerald on June 26 or the $50,000 Supernaturel at Hastings on July 1.

Both races are at 1 1/16 miles, and considering the way Princess Katie finished in her first attempt at a mile in the Irish Day, she figures to thrive with the added distance.

With Leslie Mawing aboard, Princess Katie was 14 lengths behind My Heart Goes On, who was in front after a rapid first quarter-mile in 22.44 seconds. She was still 9 1/2 lengths behind after six furlongs but started to kick into gear at the top of the stretch. My Heart Goes On opened up a three-length lead at the eighth pole, but Princess Katie closed with a rush in the middle of the track to edge her by a head.

Gilker thought she had no chance when he was watching the early stages of the race. “She has decent tactical speed, and in most of her races, she’s been on or near the lead,” he said. “I really thought she was done when she got so far out of it.”

He had to wait for the photo before he was sure she had won the race.

“I couldn’t tell if she got up in time or not,” he said. “It was quite a race.”

Princess Katie returned to Hastings on Monday. Gilker is pleased with how she is doing.

“She hasn’t gone back to the track yet, but she seems fine,” he said. “My original plan was to run her in the Supernaturel, but the way she ran in the Irish Day may have changed my mind. Plus, there is no Snuggles at Emerald.”

Trained by Dino Condilenios, Snuggles is the leader of the sophomore fillies division at Hastings. She won the $75,000 Fantasy in her last start as a 2-year-old and easily handled Princess Katie in her sophomore debut in the $50,000 Ross McLeod.

Barkley to go in Coca-Cola

Trainer Howard Belvoir confirmed that Barkley will run in the $50,000 Coca-Cola for 3-year-olds on Sunday. He goes into the one-mile race undefeated in four starts.

Belvoir was pleased with his bullet five-furlong move in 59 seconds Monday.

“Everything looks good,” Belvoir said. “He worked good, Mach One Rules worked good. It should be a good race.”

Mach One Rules, trained by Frank Lucarelli, lost his undefeated status when Barkley beat him by a head in the $50,000 Auburn on May 15. Both horses will go around two turns for the first time in the Coca-Cola.

◗ Leading trainer Blaine Wright has a good chance of winning Friday’s feature with either Golden Dynamo or Classic Grand. The $8,000 conditional claimer for 3-year-olds and up drew six horses and goes as race 6 on a seven-race card that begins at 6:30 p.m. Pacific.