No lead, no problem for Carrera Cat in Union Avenue Stakes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Despite having a horse whose only success has come when leading all the way, a horseman will typically say that their horse doesn’t have to have the lead to win. Entering Thursday’s $100,000 Union Avenue Stakes, trainer John Morrison naturally said that Carrera Cat didn’t need the lead despite her four previous victories having come when she’s led at every call.

Morrison’s proclamation proved prophetic.

Carrera Cat, who bobbled out of the gate and was outfooted to the front by Baby Boss, stalked that rival from second, took over just before the quarter pole and persevered to a 2 1/4-length victory over favored Holiday Disguise in the Union Avenue. It was a neck back to Jc’s Shooting Star in third. Fair Regis, Bonita Bianca, and Baby Boss completed the order of finish.

Flat Calm and Pauseforthecause were scratched.

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The win was the fifth from 13 starts for Carrera Cat and first in a stakes. The 4-year-old daughter of Courageous Cat had a four-race winning streak snapped when she finished second to Special Relativity in an open company second-level allowance here on July 17. Special Relativity and the third-place finisher from that race, Talk Veuve to Me, came back to win their next starts.

Both Morrison and jockey Raiv Maragh thought the Union Avenue would be a good spot to see how Carrera Cat would fare sitting off another horse. It was made slightly easier to do when Carrera Cat bobbled at the break and Baby Boss, under Jose Ortiz, jumped to a 1 1/2-length lead after running an opening quarter in 22.26 seconds.

Carrera Cat was within a half-length of Baby Boss after a half-mile in 44.67 seconds before poking her head in front approaching the quarter pole.

“I actually think stumbling a little bit might have helped us a little bit,” Morrison said. “She’s got a lot of speed and I wasn’t sure there was anybody in here that could stay with her [on the lead] but I thought she’d be better if she was sitting off of somebody. It just worked out fine.”

Maragh said that he had been breezing Carrera Cat in the mornings, teaching her to sit off another horse. While it’s easier to do in the morning than the afternoon, Maragh said his filly handled it with aplomb.

“She loved it,” Maragh said. “She targeted a horse in front and going into the turn she just jumped into the bridle and I felt like I had a lot of horse and she continued on through the stretch.”

Carrera Cat, owned by Jonathan Tucker’s Very Un Stable and Joel Gioia’s Stone Bridge Farm, covered the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:14.93 and returned $13.20.

Morrison said that the Grade 2, $250,000 Gallant Bloom Handicap at Belmont Park on Sept. 22 would be “under consideration” for Carrera Cat’s next start.