Cat’s Claw faces tall order in bid for Waya repeat
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – In 1993, the first edition of the Waya Stakes went to Saratoga Source, who repeated the following summer for trainer Jonathan Sheppard. No racemare has accomplished the double since, but on Saturday at Saratoga, Sheppard will saddle the defending champion Cat’s Claw to attempt the feat against a full field.
The Waya, a 1 1/2-mile turf contest for fillies and mares, has been upgraded from listed to Grade 3 status this year and gets a purse hike from $100,000 to $200,000.
Sheppard is looking for his sixth win in the Waya, but his entries face a tall order this year. Cat’s Claw has not won since taking the 2014 Waya and most recently finished seventh July 11 in the Grade 3 Robert G. Dick Memorial at Delaware Park. She is one of four to emerge from that race and enter this one, including stablemate Chat, who finished fifth.
“We’re very pleased with the way they’re coming up to the race but also fully aware of how tough the field is,” said Sheppard. “Obviously, the purse is twice what it used to be, and now it’s graded, so it’s going to be tougher. We won it last year with Cat’s Claw, and she likes the distance. She probably got a little bit too far out of it at Delaware in her last start off a pretty slow pace, but she made up some ground, and she stayed on well and galloped out strongly. Chat is probably a little faster than Cat’s Claw, but their running styles complement each other a little bit. Chat can quicken off a slow pace, vs. Cat’s Claw, who likes a lot of speed early to run into.”
:: DRF Live: Watch live handicapping analysis starting at 4:00 p.m. Eastern
The Sheppard stablemates are side by side in the gate, with Chat drawing post 4 under Manuel Franco and Cat’s Claw post 5 under Jose Ortiz.
Chad Brown sends out a trio of fillies in Goldy Espony, Hellenistic, and the morning-line favorite Danza Cavallo, whose best effort in this country was a close runner-up finish in the Grade 3 Long Island Handicap last November. She is getting some class relief after running a creditable fifth in the Grade 1 Gamely last out. The winner was Hard Not to Like, who came back to win the Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.
Goldy Espony, a Group 3 winner in France, has won both of her starts this year, including the River Memories Stakes at Belmont.
Key contenders
Danza Cavallo (Last 3 Beyers: 91-92-90)
* In five tries at this distance, she has a win and four seconds, including a graded placing.
* Drew the outside post under Irad Ortiz.
Goldy Espony (Last 3 Beyers: 90-85-77)
* Earned a career-high Beyer as a 2 1/2-length winner at this distance last out.
* Drew the rail under Kendrick Carmouche.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 1 Goldy Espony. Trainer Chad Brown is 10-4-3-2 with a $3.21 ROI over the past five years with last-out winners in turf routes of 12 furlongs and longer. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
:: Learn more about Formulator | Buy Formulator PPs
:: Follow the @DRFFormulator Twitter feed and get free Formulator facts
Cat’s Claw (Last 3 Beyers: 81-77-93)
* Earned the field’s highest Beyer of the last year, posting a 95 in her 2014 Waya win.
* She is 2 for 3 at this distance. The only blemish came when she finished fourth in the Dowager Stakes, missing the win by less than a length.
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 2 Eastern Belle and No. 11 Kitten’s Point. Trainer Graham Motion is 36-10-3-3 with a $5.62 ROI over the past five years in turf route graded stakes of 12 furlongs and longer. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan