Brown high on Chilean-bred Wow Cat ahead of Shuvee Handicap

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Fifteen years ago, Wild Spirit, a Chilean-bred mare making her first start in the United States, rolled to a 3 1/2-length victory in the Grade 2 Shuvee Handicap. Back then, the Shuvee was run at a mile in May at Belmont Park. Back then, Chad Brown was an assistant to Bobby Frankel, the trainer of Wild Spirit, who would go on to win the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap and Grade 1 Ruffian.

On Sunday, Wow Cat, a Chilean-bred, will be making her first start in the United States in the $200,000 Shuvee Stakes. The Shuvee, now a Grade 3, is run at 1 1/8 miles at Saratoga, and Brown, now a two-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer, has Wow Cat.

Wow Cat, a 4-year-old daughter of Lookin At Lucky, went 8 for 8 in Chile, winning races from 6 1/2 furlongs to 1 3/8 miles. She was purchased privately by Peter Brant, joined Brown’s stable in March, and has impressed the trainer in her training.

“Wow Cat, based on her body of work coming in here and her workouts recently, she’s giving me reason to believe she may be the next great horse I’ve had the privilege of working with from Chile,” Brown said.

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In addition to Wild Spirit, Brown trained the Chilean-bred Dacita, a multiple Grade 1 winner on turf.

Wow Cat has not run since December. She has worked a dozen times since early May, several times in company with Pacific Wind, whom Brown is also running in the Shuvee. Pacific Wind won her first two starts for Brown, including the Grade 2 Ruffian, before finishing fourth in the Grade 1 Ogden Phipps, beaten 9 3/4 lengths by Abel Tasman.

“She was probably second-best in the race,” Brown said. “She went for the win, tackled Abel Tasman like [jockey Irad Ortiz Jr.] was supposed to, and paid the price for it.”

Brant also owns Pacific Wind. Brown and Brant teamed to win last year’s Shuvee with Paid Up Subscriber.

The Shuvee field, from the rail out: Frost Wise, Verve’s Tale, Tiger Moth, Wow Cat, Ivy Bell, Pacific Wind, and Farrell.