Pretty Katherine has the looks of a winner, whether or not she captures Friday night’s prep race for the $150,000 Thomas D’Altrui Miss New Jersey

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The three-year-old daughter of Rocknroll Hanover will make her 2011 debut in the $20,000 prep race on Friday, May 20, the 10th race at the Meadowlands Racetrack. All eight fillies will advance to the final along with two others, Honky Tonk Woman and Weekend Update, who opted to skip the prep.

The Miss New Jersey final shares the spotlight on May 28 with the $400,000 Anthony Abbatiello New Jersey Classic for colts and geldings.

Both the Miss New Jersey and the New Jersey Classic are restricted to three-year-old New Jersey-sired pacers, and are sponsored by the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.

Pretty Katherine, who will leave from outside Post 8 in the prep, is rated as the 3-1 second choice in the morning line, paired with driver David Miller for the first time.

In her last start, the $501,000 Three Diamonds at Woodbine Racetrack on November 6, 2010, she finished third to wrap up a two-year-old season that featured five wins, one second and one third from seven starts, earning $360,698 for John M. Liviakis of Mill Valley, California.

“She wintered in Ontario at Anna Meyers’ farm, Emerald Ridge Farm,” noted trainer Casie Coleman. “She was shut down for approximately six weeks. She had chips taken out of her hind ankles at Milton Equine Hospital after her last two-year-old start.

“She trained down great [this year],” noted Coleman. “She's a sweetheart and makes my job easy. She's just simply a real good horse.”

Pretty Katherine, bred by Perretti Farms in Cream Ridge, New Jersey, was purchased for $120,000 at the Harrisburg Yearling Sale in 2008 by Liviakis, who is CEO, president and chairman of the public relations firm Liviakis Financial Communications.

She won divisions of the Eternal Camnation and Champlain Stakes, finished third in the $501,000 Three Diamonds and was second in the $688,000 She's A Great Lady in her all-Canadian campaign. Coincidentally, her dam, 2004 Sweetheart winner Fox Valley Shaker, was the runner-up in the 2004 edition of the She’s A Great Lady.

Pretty Katherine, named for her owner’s 11-year-old daughter, tuned up for the Miss New Jersey with two qualifiers at Mohawk, including a 1:52.4 effort, finishing second by a head, on May 12.

“She was always a big mare but really filled out and muscled up [this year],” said Coleman. “Her equipment is all the same this season except she doesn’t have the head poles on yet and her hopples are longer than last year.”

The field for the Miss New Jersey Prep, from the rail out with driver, trainer and morning line odds includes:

1. Krispy Apple, Tim Tetrick, Mark Kesmodel, 5-2
2. Myluvmylife, Mike Lachance, Joseph King, 6-1
3. So Perfect, Brian Sears, Jimmy Takter, 8-1
4. My Red Hot Mama, Simon Allard, Robert Clark, 15-1
5. Rocklamation, Andy Miller, Mark Harder, 4-1
6. Music Row, John Campbell, Steve Elliott, 15-1
7. I Kill Time, Ron Pierce, Robin Schadt
8. Pretty Katherine, David Miller, Casie Coleman, 3-1

Entered in the prep are four daughters of Western Ideal (Krispy Apple, So Perfect, Music Row and I Kill Time), three by Rocknroll Hanover (Myluvmylive, Rocklamation and Pretty Katherine) and one by Red River Hanover (My Red Hot Mama). The other two finalists are by Western Ideal (Honky Tonk Woman) and Rocknroll Hanover (Weekend Update).

The reigning Miss New Jersey, Ashleigh Udalovas of Millville, New Jersey, will present the trophy for the final on May 28.

The stakes record for the Miss New Jersey, which debuted in 1984, is held by 2010 winner Put On A Show, who paced the mile in 1:50 flat.

(SBOANJ)