Fayette (Grade 3)- $350.000 Purse
KEE- For Three Year Olds and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Dirt
October 25, 2025

On Saturday, we will have a field of seven taking part in the 21st running of the Fayette, a nine-furlong Grade 3 on the main track for three-year-olds and upward. This race got its purse boost in 2022, from $200.000 to the current level of $350.000, but is downgraded in classification for the first time, having been a Grade 2 since 2009. Last year, China Syndrome picked up the win for Mb Stables, but has not won since, not even at an open allowance at BTP in June. He still actively and presently races for Ajm Stables. Let’s take a look at the seven in this year’s field now:

1- Diametric (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Has never finished out of the top four over his 17-race career, and has only been fourth once. Consistently gets the job done, over and over again for Mb Stables, but the trainer has been content to keep him in overnights or ungraded stakes throughout. You can do that when you have a stable that is as deep as his, but now Diametric gets his opportunity to run graded for the first time. It should also be noted that he has mostly been a sprinter, though has been responding very well to gradual distance increases.

2- Caveat Emptor (High Voltage, ridden by D E Centeno)- Makes his 40th career start here, and when we saw him last, he came from way off the pace to get up for third in a dead heat at the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes at SA. But buyer beware on him, as he has only won three times and none of them are graded races. He’s had some close calls, but his claim to fame win is still the $125.000 Forego in early 2024. Could get a piece of this, but I wouldn’t put him on top.

3- Booker (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by F Geroux)- Last time out, Booker ran his best race in quite a while, as he finished second in the Grade 2 Woodward at AQU. He had been on just two weeks rest for that race, and it had followed a stretch of three lackluster performances on the turf. While he has not won since March of 2024, and only three times over his 29-race career, he could be tough to deal with if he runs like he did in the Woodward, I am just not sure that he will as he can be inconsistent.

4- Hurricane Ridge (The Sidley Stud, ridden by P Lopez)- After running in the BC Sprint last year, his four-year-old campaign has only seen one win. It came early, in the San Carlos Stakes in March at SA, and following that, there would be a rough patch. However, he has showed signs of breaking out of that over his last three races, placing second in the Grade 3 Seagram Cup Stakes, as well as fourth in the Phoenix (in a dead heat). Hasn’t done a lot of running long but works say he should like it.

5- Speter (Sheffler Stables, ridden by Jam Rodriguez)- Picked up by the trainer in December for $120.000 in private sales, but the return has not been there as of yet, especially when considering the nomination fees. There could be some hope, however, as after a two-month layoff, Speter bounced back for a solid third place run in the $300.000 PRX Dirt Mile. Outside of a fourth place in a dead heat earlier in the year, those have been the only checks that Speter has won. Put in a beauty of a work on Monday in anticipation of this, but his inconsistency is still a concern.

6- Cheap Ways (Riggins Racing, ridden by M E Smith)- Last month, Cheap Ways came on strong late to finish third in the Grade 3 Durham Cup Stakes at WO. He has had his moments like that one and the Grade 2 San Pasqual in January, his last stake win, but he also does a lot of finishing in the middle of the field. Those aren’t necessarily bad races; they simply do not do much to generate a lot of excitement on him to an outsider. In the morning, he does nothing except fire off bullet works.

7- Burger King (Team 7 Illusions, ridden by G Corrales)- This is the only three-year-old in the field, and that will allow him to have an extra whopper after the race as he carries three fewer pounds. He’s done great in his eight starts, winning thrice and hitting the board in seven of them. Two months ago, he was in the Travers, and finished fourth, so maybe you can even say that the time he did not hit the board was his best career effort. Ran well last time out in the Grade 1 Goodwood Stakes, where only Charlie Jace could beat him. He’s formidable in this field at equal weight. With a three-pound weight allowance, I’ll take him.

Prediction: 7-3-1-6

— NS

Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES