It's Curalina vs. Carrumba in Shuvee Handicap
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Last Sunday in the Grade 1 Coaching Club American Oaks, five were entered, but it was really a two-horse race with Songbird prevailing over Carina Mia.
This Sunday, the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Handicap at Saratoga drew four entries, but it’s really a two-horse race between Curalina and Carrumba.
Unlike the Coaching Club – where Songbird was 1-5 – there is no clear-cut favorite between Curalina, last year’s Coaching Club winner, and Carrumba, winner of this year’s Grade 3 Top Flight.
Carrumba, trained by Shug McGaughey for the Phipps Stable, may hold a tactical edge as she could be the controlling speed from the rail under Jose Ortiz. Carrumba gets in with 117 pounds, five fewer than Curalina, a two-time Grade 1 winner.
“Curalina is obviously a very formidable challenge,” McGaughey said. “Depends on how it comes up. If no one wants the lead, I’m sure we’ll be there. If someone wants the lead, I’d love to have a target.”
Carrumba, a daughter of Bernardini, finished third, three-quarters of a length ahead of Curalina in the Grade 1 Phipps on June 11 at Belmont. That 1 1/16-mile race was run around one turn. The Shuvee is run at 1 1/8 miles around two turns.
In three starts around two turns, Carrumba has two wins, including a maiden victory here and a half-length victory in the Grade 3 Top Flight at Aqueduct, a race that also had only four horses. Carrumba’s only loss going two turns was by a head to Forever Unbridled in last year’s Grade 3 Comely.
“I do think she’s a better two-turn filly,” said McGaughey, who has won four prior runnings of the Shuvee. “We’ve been looking forward to running in this race.”
Curalina, trained by Todd Pletcher for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, has won three races run around two turns, though her victory in last year’s Coaching Club American Oaks came when I’m a Chatterbox was disqualified for interference.
Curalina ran dynamite winning the Grade 1 La Troienne by 7 1/2 lengths at Churchill in May before regressing in the Phipps, a race in which Curalina attended a strong early pace.
“It’s a better race than it looked,” said Pletcher, who has won three of the last four runnings of the Shuvee. “She was hung out wide throughout. She’s coming up to this very well.”
John Velazquez rides Curalina from post 3.
Sweetgrass, a 5 3/4-length allowance winner at Belmont on July 1, and Joint Return, the 2013 Alabama runner-up, complete the field.
Trainer Ian Wilkes thinks Sweetgrass has improved since last year, when she was twice graded-stakes placed.
“She’s a bigger, stronger filly this year,” said Wilkes, who has Irad Ortiz Jr., the meet’s leading jockey, to ride. “I think she’s doing really well.”
With only four horses, there will be no show wagering in the Shuvee. The race will be run as the third (2:07 p.m. Eastern) on an 11-race card which begins at 1 p.m. and includes the $100,000 Caress Stakes for fillies and mares going 5 1/2 furlongs on turf.