By T. D. Thornton
The West Virginia-bred filly Direct the Cat (Redirect), who was profiled in TDN earlier this month after winning six straight races by a combined 58 3/4 lengths, had her year-long, huge-margin win streak stopped Saturday night when she ran second at Charles Town in the $75,000 Sylvia Bishop Memorial S. for state-bred 3-year-old fillies.
The 1 3/4-length defeat was administered by the 12-1 upsetter and second choice in the wagering, Overnight Pow Wow (Fiber Sonde). The two gray fillies are both owned and trained by Cyndy McKee, who, along with her late husband, John McKee, bred them both at the couple's Beau Ridge Farm near Charles Town.
Prior to the July 27 defeat, the speed-centric Direct the Cat had won open allowance and state-bred stakes at Charles Town by 15 1/4, 6, 7 1/2, 12 1/4, 6 3/4 and 11 lengths dating back to her first victory in start number three on Aug. 10, 2023.
On July 4, announcer Paul Espinosa, Jr. had admiringly described Direct the Cat as a “freak” of a racehorse when she won a seven-furlong allowance by about half the length of Charles Town's short, one-furlong stretch, and McKee subsequently told TDN that her filly was being courted by out-of-town racing secretaries to run in graded stakes.
On Monday, some 36 hours after the one-two performance by her fillies, McKee told TDN she was “a little bit shocked” at the outcome.
“Direct the Cat had a superficial cut on her hind leg where another horse got her in her previous race,” McKee said. Even though that cut had fully healed in time for Saturday's race, McKee explained, its presence had caused her to back off a bit in training for the Bishop Stakes, “and I think I ran a horse that wasn't quite fit. I didn't do as much with her as I should have done.”
At the same time, McKee said, she believes she might have been underestimating Overnight Pow Wow, who is now 5-for-7 lifetime. Prior to Saturday's seven-furlong win, Overnight Pow Wow had raced exclusively in 4 1/2- and 6 1/2-furlong sprints, and McKee had kept her out of races where Direct the Cat was entered.
“They'd never run together before,” McKee said. “Maybe Pow Wow is the better horse. I don't know. She's always been a bit of a baby. And that's because I babied the hell out of her.”
Overnight Pow Wow earned a career-best 82 Beyer Speed Figure for her victory, while Direct the Cat regressed to 78 after posting Beyers of 89 and 92 in her two previous starts at age three.
What's next for both fillies?
“Everybody's still calling me about the [Aug. 23 GII Charles Town] Oaks,” McKee said. “But I don't know if I'm going to be even able to get into that race with either one of them” because the conditions include eligibility based on graded stakes earnings. “That's just the way it is. You can't pick your own [eligibility] rules and you can't pick your competitors,” she added with a laugh.
McKee said additional state-bred races leading up to the Oct. 12 West Virginia Breeders' Classic series are options.
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