The Grade 1 Spinaway Stakes is Saturday at Saratoga Race. Eight 2-year-old fillies are entered to run seven furlongs on the main track on the final Saturday of the meet.
Along with the winner’s share of the $300,000-dollar purse, the Spinaway provides a win-and-you’re-in spot into the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland on October 30th.
Here is a brief look at the field:
1. BANDMASTER [ML 30-1] Jockey: Jose Lezcano. Trainer: Oscar Barrera III. A debut winner at 34-1 at Aqueduct in June against a field of seven. She sat in 3rd position in the early going and went six wide through the stretch then took the lead and drew off to an almost one-length victory. Last month she tried the Adirondack (G3) and faded to 4th as a 51-1 long shot.
2. SUMMER STARLET [ML 2-1] Jockey: Ricardo Santana Jr. Trainer: Steve Asmussen. Won her only start by more than six lengths less than a month ago when she rallied wide from the back of an eight-horse field, got to the lead at the stretch call and drew clear at 15-1. Her 87 Beyer Speed Figure is the second highest in the field. Santana gets the mount as prior rider Jose Ortiz will be at Kentucky Downs.
3. CHA CHA BABY [ML 15-1] Jockey: Mychal Sanchez. Trainer: Robert Reid Jr. Broke her Maiden in her second race by nine lengths at Delaware Park as an odds-on favorite with basically a front-end trip in July. She was 2nd in her first start at even money after being on the lead but getting caught nearing the wire.
4. STRESS RELIEF [ML 8-1] Jockey: Junior Alvarado. Trainer: Kinnon LaRose. Is one of the two Stakes winners in the Spinaway field. She began her career in June at Churchill in a five-furlong sprint and won by five lengths at 7-1. In the Adirondack (G3) she was ignored a bit at 6-1 and, once again was a clear winner, this time by 3 1/2 lengths.
5. GIRVY GIRL [ML 8-1] Jockey: Micah Husbands. Trainer: Saffie Joseph Jr. Was heavily bet to 3-5 odds for her only race at Gulfstream in July. She ran the way an odds-on favorite should by getting to the front quickly and extending her lead throughout the six-furlongs to finish with a 15-length advantage. The 3rd-place finisher from that Maiden special weight returned to win her next start by more than four lengths.
6. HARPER’S CORNER [ML 5-1] Jockey: Paco Lopez. Trainer: Cathal Lynch. She is the other Stakes winner in the field. She got her Maiden win at first asking at Laurel in June at 3-1 with a front-end effort by almost eight lengths. Despite that open-length score, she was 12-1 in the Schuylerville at Saratoga but once again was a clear winner while racing on the lead. Her 88 Beyer Speed Figure for the 1:09.96 six furlongs tops the Spinaway field.
7. ANGEL OF KIRK [ML 9-2] Jockey: Manny Franco. Trainer: Brad Cox. Was well-regarded heading into her debut in July, as was reflected by her 6-5 odds as the favorite. On that day she broke alertly, got to the lead quickly, opened a six-length lead and hit the wire ahead by almost five lengths. Flavien Prat was on board for that victory, but he will move to ride LIFE CHANGING.
8. LIFE CHANGING [ML 5-2] Jockey: Flavien Prat. Trainer: Todd Pletcher. Was sent off as a 2-1 favorite in August at Saratoga and won her debut after going right to the lead and extending to a seven-length margin. She was a $1.025 million Saratoga yearling purchase for Repole Stable, who will try to win this race for the first time. Pletcher has seven victories in the Spinaway from 1999 to 2025.
The Spinaway is slated as race 11 on a card of 12 with a scheduled Post Time of 5:45.
Best of luck however you play it.
