Shuvee Features Wow Cat-She's a Julie Showdown

A pair of grade 1 winners in Wow Cat and She's a Julie lead an especially deep edition of the $200,000 Shuvee Stakes (G3) July 21 at Saratoga Race Course.

Most of the Sunday program at Saratoga will feature races that were rescheduled from the July 20 card, which was called off because of excessive heat. The Shuvee has been pushed to race 13, set for 7:20 p.m. ET, but the 1 1/8-mile test for older fillies and mares should be worth the wait.

For Peter Brant and Stud Vendaval's Wow Cat, the Shuvee will mark her first start since finishing second to Monomoy Girl in the Nov. 3 Longines Breeders' Cup Distaff (G1) at Churchill Downs. The 5-year-old Lookin At Lucky  mare will be on familiar ground. A year ago, she made her seasonal debut in the Shuvee, finishing a close second to multiple grade 2 winner Farrell.

That race marked the U.S. debut for Wow Cat, who won all eight of her starts in Chile, including four top-level races. Trained by Chad Brown, Wow Cat went on to win the Beldame Stakes (G1) in October at Belmont Park.

"That day she ran really, really well," said jockey Jose Ortiz, who will again be aboard Sunday. "I wish I could have been a little closer. She was also a little wide going into the first turn, so I decided to take her back. I go out on the same set as her in the morning, and she looks very good."

While Wow Cat aims to get her season off on the right foot, She's a Julie has put together three nice races for trainer Steve Asmussen, earning her first grade 1 score May 3 in the La Troienne Stakes Presented by Inside Access from Chase at Churchill. She opened the year with a score in the Bayakoa Stakes (G3) at Oaklawn Park and enters Sunday's race off a third-place finish in the June 15 Fleur de Lis Handicap (G2) at Churchill.

Beyond those two grade 1 winners, Sunday's expected field of eight offers impressive depth. Brown also has entered Stonestreet Stables homebred Electric Forest. The 4-year-old Curlin  filly will be making her first start since a front-end score April 19 in the Hilliard Lyons-Baird Doubledogdare Stakes (G3) at Keeneland.

Trainer Dale Romans plans to send out grade 2 winner Coach Rocks, who enters off a five-length victory June 23 in an allowance optional claiming race over a sloppy (sealed) track at Churchill. Also in from Kentucky is grade 3 winner Skeptic for trainer Rusty Arnold.

Rounding out the field are grade 3-placed Golden Award, who was supplemented to the race, and stakes winners Pink Sands and Forever Liesl.

Entries: Shuvee S. (G3)

Saratoga Race Course, Sunday, July 21, 2019, Race 13

• Grade III
• 1 1/8m
• Dirt
• $200,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 7:20 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1She's a Julie (KY)	Ricardo Santana, Jr.	124	Steven M. Asmussen	2/1
2	2Pink Sands (KY)	Joel Rosario	120	Claude R. McGaughey III	10/1
3	3Golden Award (KY)	Tyler Gaffalione	118	William I. Mott	5/1
4	4Skeptic (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	120	George R. Arnold, II	30/1
5	5Wow Cat (CHI)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Chad C. Brown	9/5
6	6Forever Liesl (FL)	John R. Velazquez	118	Michelle Nevin	12/1
7	7Coach Rocks (KY)	Luis Saez	120	Dale L. Romans	12/1
8	8Electric Forest (KY)	Javier Castellano	120	Chad C. Brown	6/1