Improving Wondrwherecraigis Steps Up in Tale of the Cat

Four-time winner Wondrwherecraigis  ships into Saratoga Race Course and will attempt to secure his first career stakes score in the Aug. 13 $120,000 Tale of the Cat Stakes.

Owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, The Elkstone Group, and Michael Caruso, Wondrwherecraigis enters the six-furlong sprint for 4-year-olds and up who have not won a graded race in 2021 from a dominating allowance optional claiming score July 18 at Pimlico Race Course.

"It was a big race. He's doing really well," said trainer Brittany Russell. "We figured we would take a look. It looks like the race will set up for him, so we're shipping him up and giving him a chance."

The son of Munnings  , who is 2-for-3 for the year, began his 4-year-old campaign with a front-running allowance optional claiming tally at Pimlico in May. Wondrwherecraigis returns to stakes company on the NYRA circuit in the Tale of the Cat after being disqualified from second to third in the Gold Fever Stakes last July as a sophomore at Belmont Park before finishing a solid fourth in his first start at the Spa in the Amsterdam Stakes (G2).

Jockey Luis Saez will ride from post 5.

Trainer Ray Handal will saddle last-out stakes winner Foolish Ghost , who defeated his New York-bred counterparts in the July 29 John Morrissey Handicap. The son of Mineshaft   was claimed by Handal and owners Ken Russell and Richard Newman Racing last August and has since won four times for his current trainer.

"He's doing well," Handal said. "There aren't too many sprints for him in the northeast area. On his best day, he can run with some of the good ones, so we'll see."

Jockey Joel Rosario retains the mount from post 6.

Daniel Alonso's Wind of Change  arrives at the Tale of the Cat off a wire-to-wire 6 1/4 length win in the Mr. Prospector Stakes May 29 at Monmouth Park for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr.

The Brazilian-bred son of Forestry, a graded stakes winner in his native country, seeks the sixth stakes victory of his career in the Tale of the Cat. Wind of Change was transferred to Joseph's barn this year, finishing second in an April 24 allowance optional claiming race at Gulfstream Park in his first trip to the post for the trainer.

Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. will ride from post 4.

The 7-year-old New York-bred My Boy Tate , a five-time stakes winner, Jack Sisterson-trained Bon Raison , an earner of $685,874, and  David Bernsen's Shashashakemeup , runner-up in an allowance optional claimer here July 16, complete the field.

Entries: Tale of the Cat S.

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, August 13, 2021, Race 9

• STK
• 6f
• Dirt
• $120,000
• 4 yo's & up
• 5:39 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1My Boy Tate (NY)	Manuel Franco	124	Michelle Nevin	5/1
2	2Shashashakemeup (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	120	Peter R. Walder	8/1
3	3Bon Raison (KY)	Jorge A. Vargas, Jr.	118	Jack Sisterson	8/1
4	4Wind of Change (BRZ)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	124	Saffie A. Joseph, Jr.	2/1
5	5Wondrwherecraigis (KY)	Luis Saez	122	Brittany T. Russell	9/5
6	6Foolish Ghost (NY)	Joel Rosario	124	Raymond Handal	4/1