By Tom White
4/07/04

Delaware, Ohio--Kikikatie, the two-year-old filly queen with the musical sounding name, headlines a group of 117 three-year-old fillies who are eligible to the $300,000-est. Jugette scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, September 22 at the Delaware, Ohio County Fair. Lee and Linda DeVisser's brilliant pacer won 14 of 15 starts in 2003, losing only to Pans Culottes in the Breeders Crown Final. Pans Culottes is also eligible to the 34th Jugette.

Kikikatie was bred and named by Jules and Arlene Siegel at Fashion Farms in eastern Pennsylvania. According to Hoof Beats writer Nicole Kraft, it was time to name the yearlings. Jules kept looking at a filly by Real Artist and the mare Katie's Lucky Day, and a World War 1 song kept running through his mind: "K-K-K-Katy, beautiful Katy, You're the only g-g-g-girl that I adore." On April 2, 2001 the USTA registered her as Kikikatie. The DeVisser's purchased Kikikatie for $37,000 as a yearling at Harrisburg, Pa. in 2002.

Kikikatie won her first 14 starts for trainer Joe Seekman including the American-National Final, The Great Lady Final, Bluegrass, Matron and Breeders Crown elimination. She earned $788,044, second only to colt champion and Jug favorite, I Am A Fool. Kikikatie took a record of 1:51.3 and was ranked No. 5 on the US TA's preseason Experimental Championship Ratings of three-year-old colts and fillies by Stanley Bergstein.

Seekman admitted the schedule was a bit heavy for a freshman, but added that such racing is necessary to keep a horse fresh from June until the Breeders Crown, which was November 29th last year. Kikikatie rested for a month in Lexington before rejoining the Seekman Stable in January in Michigan. Her trainer said she would most likely return to racing in May or June. David Miller drove Kikikatie in her final four starts in 2003. Of note, last year's Jugette winner Numeric Hanover is also by Kikikatie's sire Real Artist.

Peter Pan Stables' homebred Pans Culottes finished her freshman season with three victories in 11 starts, earned $285,698 and took a mark of 1:54.3. She finished second to Kikikatie in her Breeders Crown elimination but beat her rival by a neck in the Final. The daughter of The Panderosa is trained by Ben Wallace and driven by Dan Dube.

Another strong Jugette contender is Marvin Rounick's Artsplace filly Glowing Report. Trained by Jerry Silverman, and driven by George Brennan, Glowing Report won the Champlain, a division of the International Stallion Stake, and an elimination and Final of the Three Diamonds. She was fourth in both her Breeders Crown elim and Final.

Show Off, third in the Breeders Crown Final, and Sweetheart Final winner So Artsi also are among the early favorites for the Jugette.