Wow Cat, Pacific Wind Give Brown 1-2 Punch for Shuvee
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Photo: Coglianese Photos
Pacific Wind wins the Ruffian Stakes at Belmont Park
Peter Brant and Stud Vendaval's Wow Cat will make her North American debut for trainer Chad Brown in the $200,000 Shuvee Stakes (G3) July 29 for fillies and mares at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga Race Course.
The 4-year-old Lookin At Lucky filly was undefeated in her native Chile, where she won all eight of her starts by a combined 47 3/4 lengths at distances from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 3/8 miles. Unraced at 2, Wow Cat made her debut in April of her sophomore year, during which she became the first filly to win that nation's Triple Crown and registered group 1 victories in the Tanteo de Potrancas, Mil Guineas Maria Luisa Solari Falabella, Alberto Solari Magnasco, and Clásico St. Leger.
Following her champion 3-year-old season, Wow Cat was purchased privately and moved to the United States under the care of Brown, who said the Shuvee has long been a target for the filly.
"I've been impressed with her so far," he said. "We've given her plenty of time to acclimate, and her works have been strong of late. A mile and an eighth on the dirt off a layoff is a tall order. She seems to be of very high quality. It's just overcoming that layoff.
"This race seems to fit her really well, and (jockey) John Velazquez is going to ride her. I don't know where she'll put herself in the race, but it'll be up to him."
Wow Cat will be joined by her stablemate Pacific Wind, who is exiting a fourth-place finish in the June 9 Ogden Phipps Stakes (G1) at Belmont Park, where she was beaten 9 3/4 lengths by 2017 champion 3-year-old filly Abel Tasman. Before that, the daughter of Curlin earned her first stakes win with a one-length victory in the Ruffian Stakes (G2) in May. The Shuvee will be Pacific Wind's fourth start for Brown after she started her career on the West Coast.
LARUE: Pacific Wind Blows By the Competition in Ruffian Stakes
"She's gotten over (the Phipps)," Brown said. "She took on Abel Tasman on the turn going for the win, and she paid the price for it when that filly pulled away. I thought she gave a good try of it, and we wanted to freshen her up just a little going into this race, and she seems to be training well."
Multiple graded stakes winner Farrell will make her first start at the Spa for trainer Wayne Catalano. The frontrunning daughter of Malibu Moon is looking for her first graded stakes win of the year and is exiting back-to-back runner-up finishes at Churchill Downs in the La Troienne Stakes presented by Twinspires.com (G1) and the Fleur De Lis Handicap (G2). Most recently, Farrell was an early scratch from the July 14 Delaware Handicap (G2).
Trainer Todd Pletcher will be represented by Ivy Bell, winner of the Inside Information Stakes (G2) in March and grade 1-placed with runner-up finishes in the Humana Distaff Stakes and the Odgen Phipps.
Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, July 29, 2018, Race 9Entries: Shuvee S. (G3)
PP
Horse
Jockey
Wgt
Trainer
M/L
1
1Frost Wise (NY)
Joel Rosario
118
Michael Dilger
15/1
2
2Verve's Tale (KY)
Manuel Franco
116
Barclay Tagg
10/1
3
3Tiger Moth (KY)
Florent Geroux
124
Brad H. Cox
12/1
4
4Wow Cat (CHI)
John R. Velazquez
120
Chad C. Brown
8/5
5
5Ivy Bell (KY)
Javier Castellano
118
Todd A. Pletcher
3/1
6
6Pacific Wind (KY)
Irad Ortiz, Jr.
122
Chad C. Brown
7/2
7
7Farrell (KY)
Channing Hill
120
Wayne M. Catalano
4/1
