The Waya (Grade 3)- $300.000 Purse
BEL- For Fillies and Mares Three Years Old and Upward
One Mile and Three Eighths on the Inner Turf
October 3, 2021
We’ll have an eight and a nine in the gate, but only five actually going to the post for the 15th running of the Grade 3 Waya. The race sends older females a total of eleven furlongs (one less than any prior year) along the inner turf and sees its purse double from last year. In the 2020 race, there was only a purse of $150.000, and that was only a slight deduction from prior years. The horse that won the race was Number Nine, and she will be back to try and become the second horse to win The Waya twice. Broomsticks Copy accomplished the feat in both 2015 and 2016. When she did it in 2015, she went to win the second of her two BC Fillies and Mares Turf titles a month later. Here’s a look at the field!
#1- Proud Eights (Mb Stables, ridden by C J Hernandez)- After spending her entire racing career with Estero Farms, and making over $1,500.000 with that trainer, Proud Eights was sold in private sales about ten days ago to Mb Stables for $750.000. Now, she’s just another fine weapon that the leading trainer in the game will have at his disposal. Proud Eights last ran in mid-September, and was fifth in the KD Ladies turf, snapping a stretch of three wins in four races that included the Grade 1 Gamely and Beverly D.
#2- Maggie Greene (The Sidley Stud, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Impressively, this six year old mare has raced in the BC a total of four times, and the last time resulted in a win in the BC Fillies and Mares Turf. She’s earned over $3,800.000 in her career and hopes to return to the BC once again (that looks good for the moment). Maggie Greene has only one win this year, that came in March in the Grade 3 Orchid, but she has hit the board in six of her eight races, including her last four. No reason to think that trend, at the least, would not continue.
#3- De Nada (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J R Velazquez)- Made her graded debut in August at the Grade 2 Glens Falls, and finished third in the race. Not bad for a horse that was claimed in February for $25.000. Despite that, she still has not won a race with TwinTowersRacing, and the Glens Falls was the only time she has been in the money with him.
#4- Lost Goddess (Nakamura Stables, ridden by V R Carrasco)- This filly by Dignified has won five of her twelve career starts, and will be hoping for her first graded win. She’s won a couple of smaller ungraded stakes up to this point. About five weeks ago, she ran in the Grade 2 Ballston up at SAR and ran fourth, snapping a three race win streak. This would be a great race for her to pull off if she did.
#5- Zalinda- Scratched
#6- Number Nine (Smokey Stover, ridden by S X Bridgmohan)- Looking to win the Waya for the second straight year, but it would be for two different trainers. Spankys Barn was her trainer last year, but in June he sold her off to Smokey for $400.000. She’d make her debut for her new boss in early August, and made a good first impression in winning the Glens Falls narrowly over Maggie Greene. A month later, she was close to winning the Sword Dancer, but settled for second. A good showdown here is likely between her and Maggie Greene again and of course, you can’t forget everyone else.
Prediction: 2-6-1-3
— NS
Categories: Grade III, STAKES ARTICLES
