Upstart Filly Worst To First In Big A Bow

1st-Aqueduct, $80,000, Msw, 11-12, 2yo, f, 7f, 1:26.45, my, head.
KATHLEEN O. (f, 2, Upstart–Quaver {SP}, by Blame) was the buzz horse in the Friday opener from Aqueduct, as she was bet down all the way into 13-4 from a morning line of 8-1, but jumped only fairly from the widest stall in a field of seven. Racing in a detached last while trying to find her footing in the off going, the dark bay was ridden patiently by Javier Castellano while still clearly last into the turn, but began to hit her best stride while wide at the three-eighths pole. Going well but under the whip with the better part of a dozen lengths to find turning for home, Kathleen O. continued to make ground with an inside run into the final eighth of a mile, was steered back out into the three path and rolled past favored pace-pressing Mischievous Diane (Practical Joke) in the shadow of the wire for a promising score. The debuting Greatitude (Dialed In) made the running from the inside post and fought on gamely over this demanding trip to be a good third. An $8,000 purchase out of the 2019 Keeneland November Sale, Kathleen O. improved into a $50,000 OBS October yearling and fetched $275,000 at this year's OBS April Sale after breezing a quarter in :21 1/5. Kathleen O's Grade III-placed third dam Pretty 'n Smart (Beau Genius) produced GISW freshman sire Cupid (Tapit); GSW Ashley's Kitty (Tale of the Cat); and GSW Heart Ashley (Lion Heart), whose daughter Ameristralia (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is responsible for GII Chandelier S. heroine Ain't Easy (Into Mischief). Quaver is the dam of a yearling colt by Tapwrit named ftlineTap Collector, a weanling filly by the same sire and was most recently covered by the 2017 GI Belmont S. hero. Sales history: $8,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $50,000 Ylg '20 OBSOCT; $275,000 2yo '21 OBSAPR. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $44,000. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.
O-Winngate Stables LLC; B-Gainesway Thoroughbreds Ltd & Bridlewood Farm LLC (KY); T-Claude R McGaughey III.