The Waya Stakes, Purse $200.000, Grade 2, One and ½ miles, Turf for 3+ Fillies and Mares
Today at at SAR there are 5 horses that are really stretching their legs on the turf going the long distance of a mile and a half. There is a headliner in this group and that is the former BC Juvenile winner in Boomsticks Copy. Let’s take a look at the field:
1-Whiskey Wings (Team 7 Illusions)- She comes into the race winning 4 out of 11 starts with 4 2nd place finishes. She was recently purchased by current owner Team 7 Illusions for $125.000 off back to back second place finishes in overnight stakes races. She is being stepped up on class to the highest level she has run at and also stretched out further then she has ever run before. Could this be the recipe to get her back on her winning ways? I am not sure but she did have a nice one mile turf breeze at SAR which may have helped show that she could get this distance.
2-Mover N Shaker (Sanny Village)- Comes into the race winning 4 out of 16 lifetime races, however is a perfect 1 for 1 on the turf and that win came in her last race in an OC race at GP. That win was in closing fashion going a mile and 1/16th which shows that she can go a route of ground. In fact all 4 of her races have been routing which shows me that she really likes longer distances and make me think that she may be able to get this longer distance. She only has 1 public work since that last win and it was a solid track B going 6 furlongs on the turf. This is one to keep your eye on to be there at the end.
3-MS Gummybear (Downwind Stables)- She has won 3 of 10 career starts and has hit the board in 3 others. All of her wins have come going long on the turf which should help her in this race. Her last race was going today’s distance at Belmont on July 5th in an overnight stakes race. In that race she opened up on the field winning by an astonishing 7 lengths . That wasn’t the first time she has won going this long as she has won 2 of 3 times with the only loss being a 3rd place finish in at Grade 3. This one has a good shot here and distance will not be a problem as she has already proven she can get it.
4-Onorata (Team 7 Illusions)- She comes into the race winning 2 out of 10 races but hitting the board in 8 of the 10. Since starting to go long on the turf she has not missed the board in any of her 4 races and has won 1 of them. Her last win was 2 back in an allowance race going a flat mile at CD in June. She caught a good track the next time out at ELP and ended up finishing up 2nd in that race. Both of these races were for the current owner after her purchase for $80.000. A mile and a 1/16th is the furthest this horse has gone but she was closing in that race. Will the added ground help her today?
5-Broomsticks Copy (Drabfantasy) She has won 3 out of 13 career starts but has hit the board in 7 of these starts. The highlight of this horse’s racing career came last year when she won the Breeders Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf. Since that race she has run 5 times with 1 win and 1 second. The second came last out in the Senorita Stakes at SA in June. She came up just a neck short on that day and is hoping that adding some distance as she is getting older can help her get back to top form. The furthest she has run is a mile and 1/8th and both times she has run that distance she has missed the board. Was that because of the distance or the trip? I guess we will find out later today.
This is a long one on the grass for fillies and mares 3 year olds and up on the turf. There is a former BC champion in the race, can her back class carry her to victory here or will there be a horse proven at this distance that will take down the win? Here is my prediction. 2-3-4-5
Warbucks
Categories: Grade II
