Already a four-time winner at the highest level in her native Chile, Wow Cat captured her first American Grade I in style with a decisive score in Belmont's GI Beldame S. Saturday. Favored at 6-5, the bay ran off the rail in fourth as MGSW Farrell (Malibu Moon) clocked opening splits of :23.59 and :46.88, while pushed along by Come Dancing (Malibu Moon) and Divine Miss Grey (Divine Park). Come Dancing drew alongside the leader on the backstretch run with Wow Cat hot on her heels. The chalk ranged up outside of Come Dancing to take control entering the turn as Farrell called it a day and rolled clear in the lane to win as she pleased by 3 1/4 lengths. Divine Miss held second over Verve's Tale (Tale of Ekati).
“She looked great,” said winning trainer Chad Brown. “I was watching on a head-on screen in one of the boxes. I felt really good watching the head-on because Jose [Ortiz] was always looking around him and was well in hand the whole way around the turn. I had a good feeling throughout the race.”
He added, “She's really a top-class horse. She came to us undefeated. She's legit.”
As for a potential start in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff next month, Brown said, “I want to discuss it with the partners and Peter [Brant] and the breeders, because the way she ran today, and the fact that she might just be coming around and getting climatized over here and really finding her rhythm, and finding a surface she likes…if she goes to Churchill and likes it, who knows. I'm open to it.”
Winner of the Chilean Triple Crown and undefeated in her homeland, Wow Cat was a neck second, splitting Farrell and Verve's Tale, as the heavy favorite in her U.S. debut in Saratoga's GIII Shuvee S. July 29. The Chilean champion was a well-beaten third last time in that venue's prestigious GI Personal Ensign S. Aug. 25, finishing 10 lengths behind a pair of heavy hitters in champion Abel Tasman (Quality Road) and MGISW 'TDN Rising Star' Elate (Medaglia d'Oro).
Pedigree Notes:
Wow Cat became her sire Lookin at Lucky's first champion and top-level winner with her Chilean exploits and is now his second Grade I winner in America, following top older male Accelerate. The winner is a full-sister to G1SP 3-year-old Winwin (Chi), who is her dam's youngest produce.
Saturday, Belmont Park
BELDAME S.-GI, $400,000, Belmont, 10-6, 3yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8m, 1:47.75, ft.
1–WOW CAT (CHI), 123, f, 4, by Lookin At Lucky
1st Dam: Winter Cat (Chi), by Cat Thief
2nd Dam: Winter Harbor, by Boston Harbor
3rd Dam: Plateau, by Seeking the Gold
O-Peter M. Brant & Stud Vendaval, Inc.; B-Haras Paso Nevado
(CHI); T-Chad C. Brown; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $220,000. Lifetime
Record: Ch. 2yo Filly & MG1SW-Chi, 11-9-1-1, $696,977. *Full
to Winwin (Chi), G1SP-Chi. Werk Nick Rating: A+. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.[bullet ad=”sold-by-fernando-ignacio-diaz-valdez”]2–Divine Miss Grey, 123, f, 4, by Divine Park
1st Dam: Seattle Grey, by Friends Lake
2nd Dam: Grey Dawn Grey, by Grindstone
3rd Dam: Magnificent Dawn, by Grey Dawn II
($100,000 Ylg '15 KEESEP). O-Corms Racing Stable & R. A. Hill
Stable; B-Brereton C. Jones (KY); T-Danny Gargan. $80,000.
3–Verve's Tale, 123, m, 5, by Tale of Ekati&log=">Tale of Ekati
1st Dam: Verve, by Unbridled
2nd Dam: Mrs. Marcos, by Private Account
3rd Dam: Dancing Slippers, by Nijinsky II
O/B-Charles E. Fipke (KY); T-Barclay Tagg. $48,000.[bullet ad=”mckathan-brothers-training-grad”]Margins: 3 1/4, HF, HF. Odds: 1.30, 3.80, 4.80.
Also Ran: Teresa Z, Come Dancing, Berned, Dreamcall, Farrell.
Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
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