Farrell Wires G3 Shuvee

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – After a pair of runner-up finishes in her last two outings, Coffeepot Stables’ homebred Farrell finally returned to the winner’s circle on Sunday after wiring the Grade 3, $200,000 Shuvee Stakes at Saratoga.

Breaking sharply from the far outside post 7 under Channing Hill, Farrell placed herself forwardly in a hurry and was able to safely cross over to the rail before making the first turn. Setting a 2-length lead, Farrell was able to post uncontested splits of :24.35, :48.31, and 1:11.83. Rounding the far turn whie still rolling along with a 2-length lead, Farrell straightened for home and found her foes creeping nearer. In the final furlong, the 4-5 favorite Wow Cat and Verve’s Tale applied pressure and grew closer to the leader, but it wasn’t enough. Farrell hit the line by a neck and a head over that pair in a final time of 1:49.35 for the 1 1/8-mile main track event.

“She’s such a good mare; she deserves to win a race like this up here,” Hill said. “I can’t say too much bad about her. She can be a little particular, as you can see. Halfway down the lane, I thought we should have opened up by open lengths by the 1/8 pole, but that’s just her.”

Ivy Bell had initially taken third in the stretch run but couldn’t sustain her position and crossed in fourth. Pacific Wind and Tiger Moth completed the order of finish. Frost Wise was scratched.

Farrell’s win was her fifth in a graded event and improved her overall record to 17-8-2-2. The 4-year-old daughter Malibu Moon took home $110,000 for here triumph, which pushed her over the seven-digit mark in earnings ($1,064,777).

“This track is favored for speed, so when they scratched (Frost Wise), I looked pretty comfortable there,” Catalano said. “Now, I had to get us to the 1/8, pole and Channing had to do the rest. Of course, the filly did a great job. We were very happy with everything, obviously.”

Catalano added that Farrell will likely be under consideration for the Grade 1, $500,000 Ketel One Ballerina at 7 furlongs on August 25, a Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifier for the Filly & Mare Sprint.

“We need to win a Grade 1, so we’ll see,” he said. “This came up to our liking, so here we are standing in the winner’s circle.”

Farrell returned $20.20 to win, $6 to place, and $3.90 to show. Wow Cat brought back $3 to place and $2.50 to show, while Verve’s Tale paid $3.80 to show.