Coglianese / NYRA Photo Photo

Carrera Cat wins stakes debut in Union Avenue

by Ryan Martin

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - A change in tactics was no issue for five-time winner Carrera Cat, who was the pacesetter in her last five outings but tracked the speed to win her stakes debut in Thursday's $100,000 Union Avenue at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned by Very Un Stable in partnership with Stone Bridge Farm, the 4-year-old bay daughter of Courageous Cat stumbled slightly in the 6 ½-furlong event for New York-bred fillies and mares and sat off of the pacesetter Baby Boss who led the six-horse field through an opening quarter-mile in 22.26 seconds. Around the far turn, Carrera Cat began inching her way closer to the lead and took command at the top of the stretch through a half in 44.67 seconds on the fast main track.

Jockey Rajiv Maragh asked more of Carrera Cat just past the quarter pole and drew away with Fair Regis in pursuit to the outside, but Carrera Cat hit the wire in 1:14.93 to win by 2 ¼ lengths. Holiday Disguise split horses to get second while Jc's Shooting Star finished third.

Completing the order of finish were Fair Regis, Bonita Bianca and Baby Boss. Pauseforthecause and Flat Calm were scratched.

Maragh, who piloted Carrera Cat in all but her first two career outings, said he was pleased with the effort from the talented filly.

"We've been training her a lot in the morning for this [coming from off the pace]. She showed in the morning she could, but in the afternoons is a different story," Maragh said. "In her previous races, she inherited the lead because of her natural speed. Today was the perfect day to try because she drew outside of the other speed. We weren't forced to try to hold a spot today and it worked. She loved it. She targeted the horse in front, and into the turn, she jumped onto the bridle and it felt like I had a ton of horse. She just continued on into the stretch. I just showed her the crop, I didn't really have to tap her. She's game today."

The victory was a fifth career win for the John Morrison-trained Carrera Cat, whose record now stands at 5-3-2 in 13 career starts.

Carrera Cat broke her maiden at eighth asking last November at Aqueduct and went on to win her next three starts, which included an allowance win against open company at Belmont Park in June. Last out, she was a narrow second to Special Relativity, who went on to win the Shine Again on July 31 at the Spa.

"It's very nice to win, especially here. We targeted this race since May, so it's very pleasing," Morrison said. "[I told] Rajiv that she doesn't have to have the lead. I think stumbling a little bit might have helped us a little bit, because she has a lot of high speed, and I wasn't sure if there was anybody in here that could stay with her running. I thought she'd be better sitting off of somebody. It just worked out fine.

"I would prefer she break clean, but sometimes she breaks so sharp, you can't get her back behind anybody," Morrison continued. "Turning for home and he's [Maragh] looking around both ways, I felt pretty good. I know him, and I knew he had a lot of horse left."

Carrera Cat returned $13.20 for a $2 win bet and cashed $55,000 for her victory. Her lifetime earnings now stand at $274,856. 

Bred in the Empire State by W.S. Farish, Carrera Cat is out of the Mineshaft broodmare Top Value and comes from the same family as Grade 1-winning millionaire Student Council as well as multiple graded stakes winner Don't Get Mad.

Live racing resumes on Friday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, highlighted by the $100,000 Skidmore. First post is 1 p.m. Eastern.