Cat's Claw scores in Waya for third straight win

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – When Jonathan Sheppard picked up the overnight for Sunday’s $100,000 Waya Stakes, he was so disappointed to see his filly, Cat’s Claw, on the also-eligible list that he almost spoke to the owner of the other horse he had in the race, Angel of Terrace, to see if he would consider scratching.

“I just had a feeling this might be the day for this filly,” Sheppard said. “Angel of Terrace is always a nice, useful filly, but she’s had her chances before, and she will again. It seemed like everything else was in line for Cat’s Claw. Was she good enough? I don’t know.”

Without owner George Strawbridge having to scratch Angel of Terrace, Cat’s Claw drew into the Waya field anyway, and she indeed proved good enough, unleashing a strong late kick in the Saratoga stretch under Cornelio Velasquez to run down Viva Rafaela and win the Waya by a half-length.

It was the third straight win for Cat’s Claw, a daughter of Dynaformer. All three of her wins have come since being stretched out in distance to 1 1/4 miles or farther. The Waya was run at 1 1/2 miles.

“I think she is a superior distance horse,” said Sheppard, who trains Cat’s Claw for Jon and Sarah Kelly and Helen Alexander. “She’s acted that way since we got to know her and learn a little bit about her. She does seem like she gallops all day. The further she goes, the better she is.”

Cat’s Claw only had one horse beaten with three furlongs to run in the Waya. But the early fractions were swift enough – 47.47 seconds for the half-mile, 1:12.21 for six furlongs – that the race set up for a closer. Velasquez weaved his way through traffic aboard Cat’s Claw, then swung out five wide in the stretch, where she unleashed her run.

“I had a lot of horse, but I don’t have room,” Velasquez said. “I want to put her in the clear. The last three-sixteenths, I had a lot of horse. She ran big.”

Cat’s Claw covered the 1 1/2 miles over firm ground in 2:27.08 and returned $28.40 to win.

Viva Rafaela, who was up close early, finished second by a half-length over English Class, who got third by a head over Gulsary. Angel of Terrace, Sheppard’s other starter, finished fifth.