The Spinaway (Grade 1) (BC)- $350.000 Purse
SAR- For Fillies Two Years Old
Seven Furlongs on the Dirt
September 3, 2016

It’s the final chance for juvenile fillies to shine at beautiful Saratoga Race Course in 2016, as the 13th running of the Spinaway takes place on Saturday.  This is a race that has been won by some amazing horses over the course of the last twelve years, and has also seen many come up short here who went on to have great careers themselves.   Our past winner list is particularly impressive from 2009-2011, with Bay Bound, Mai Mia Bambina, and Vouvray each picking up a win in this stake.  Bay Bound would win the BC Juvenile Fillies later in 2009 after winning this race, and in the year after, she was second in the BC Ladies Classic.  Mai Mia Bambina was best known for having success while taking on the boys in the TC races, as she would finish 3rd in the KYD, and then second in the BEL.   Vouvray would win the BC Juvenile Fillies as well as her career started off with five consecutive wins and later a bid in the KYD herself, and she would be fourth.  Not all Spinaway winners have had continued success, as is the case with last year’s winner, Klassy With A K.    After defeating the likes of Notarized Kate and Disney Music, Klassy With A K completely fizzled out, and never returned to the track after her obligatory run in the BC Juvenile Fillies.  Her trainer has not fielded a starter in about nine months, so we may have heard the last of her.   Nine go to the gate in hopes of following the path of the likes of the winners from 2009-11.  Let’s meet our runners!

#1- Charm (Night Mare Racing, ridden by J J Castellano)- The California bred has done all of her racing out west to this point and is most recently coming off a third place finish in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes.  Laffin Juliet was also in that race, and was the runner up, but was within a length of victory.  Her SRF numbers are showing gradual improvement with each race, even if the works are not necessarily doing that.   So you never really know, but a couple in here do interest me more.

#2- Desmarais (Jerry Garcia Racing, ridden by K Carmouche)- After an add change, Desmarais was able to break her maiden in her third start, and did so right here at the Spa.   Going directly in the Spinaway might seem like a little much, until you look at her work times.  This is clearly a filly who has simply her fast races to be too short, and has been looking forward to the seven furlong distance she seems today.   Be looking for her to make a late run.

#3- Talent Quest (Mb Stables, ridden by J R Velazquez)- The General Motors filly has won two out of three races thus far, and has shown impeccable consistency with her speed figures.  The first win was in her debut, and following that, the trainer sent her up to WO for the $125.000 Nandi Stakes where she finished third.  Most recently she won an optional claimer at DMR, and hopes to show that form in this race.  She is one of two in this field that Mb brings to the gate, and they look to have equal chances here.

#4- Que Seras Creeps (D J C Racing, ridden by I Ortiz Jr)- When she ran in the Lynbrook six weeks ago, I thought very highly of her, and picked her to win the race.  She wouldn’t win, but I was still left with a positive feeling about the horse after watching her get right out to the lead, and then make a valiant bid to try to fend off the two that would be able to get by her.   Since then, she has been off, and hopefully that will help her get the distance here today, or perhaps a tactical change will occur.   Still like her, but won’t jinx her again.

#5- Shes El Grand (Pan Farms, ridden by R J Albarado)- The trainer has picked up some big wins lately, and it is good to see him have success in his return regardless of how some will feel about his tactics.  Shes El Grand is an impressive looking filly who has shown a definite liking to coming off the pace, which alone may be very beneficial in this race.  Getting an additional furlong is also really going to help her, but they are still not making these races as long as this filly probably really wants to go yet.  With El Gran Broomstick and Die Laffin in the pedigree, there’s a ton of potential here.

#6- Laffin Juliet (Delta Farms, ridden by J R Leparoux)- There is no one in this field who has reached the SRF numbers that she has, hitting 92 twice.  Most recently, she was a close second in the Grade 2 Sorrento Stakes, where Charm was one of the fillies she defeated.  Overall, she still has two wins and two places in her four starts thus far, and she too looks like she is just beginning to develop into running longer distances.  Note that she will be running without the lasix that she had in the last start.

#7- Zapatista (John Henry, ridden by J Alvarado)– Last week, the trainer saw one of his large purchases finally get a big one, as Copper Beast took home the Travers in a dead heat.  He will look to continue this run with this filly that he claimed last month from Jerry Garcia in a $75.000 maiden claimer right here, a race that she did win.   I like the way that she made up the ground in the stretch to pick up that win, and see no reason why she could not do the same thing again.  To beat a couple of these, she’ll have to improve a tad, but at this age, that can happen in a flash.

#8- Silent Waters (Mb Stables, ridden by R Bejarano)- Has followed a pretty similar path to her stablemate, Talent Quest.  After winning her debut, she was sent to the ON-bred Nandi Stakes as well, and would finish second, one spot ahead of Talent Quest.  Her last start saw disappoint as the favorite in an optional claimer on this race track.  Meanwhile, Talent Quest went west and won a similar race.  Based on that, I would feel a little better about Talent Quest.  The race within the race for the trainer will probably be interesting to see which of these prevails over the other.

#9- Wine And Bubble (Night Rider Stables, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- After a disappointing finish in the $200.000 Astoria at BEL in June, Wine And Bubble bounced back very nicely in her last start, placing third in a tight photo at the $100.000 CTBA Stakes out at DMR.  She will make her first appearance at SAR, and will need to run better then she did previously in the Empire State to have a chance.  Tough to tell how she might handle the increased distance, as there are no relevant works longer then five furlongs.

Prediction: 6-5-3-4

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES