Happy Travers Week! The Waya Stakes is the eighth race on Friday, August 28, at Saratoga Race Course. The Grade 3 event carries a $225,000 purse and is scheduled to be run at 1 3/8 miles on the turf, with a post time of 5:07 p.m. ET.
The race sheets information discussed below is provided by Today’s Racing Digest. If you’re looking for Friday’s Saratoga past performances, you can find them on the Digest Handicapping Products Page.
The Field
1. Evershed (5-1)
Evershed enters her second start off a lengthy layoff for trainer Arnaud Delacour, with Flavien Prat picking up the mount.
The four-year-old filly has seven career starts, with two wins, two seconds and a third. Her most notable Saratoga effort came in last year’s Grade 2 Saratoga Oaks, where she finished second at 1 3/16 miles on turf.
She returned from her layoff on July 19, finishing third after a wide-closing trip at 1 1/16 miles. That race produced a 125 final-time rating, and she figures to improve with a race under her belt.
Her 147 final-time rating in the Saratoga Oaks remains the best number of her career, which makes Saratoga and the longer distance particularly interesting.
2. Snipsnippitysnip (8-1)
Brendan Walsh trains Snipsnippitysnip, with Edgar Zayas named to ride.
She rallied to finish third in a 1 3/8-mile optional claiming race at Saratoga on July 19, earning a 126 final-time rating. She had previously won at the same distance with a 117 rating.
She’ll need to improve her speed figure to contend with the best of this group, but her proven ability at the distance makes her worth considering underneath.
3. Whitethorn (10-1)
Whitethorn is trained by Todd Pletcher and will have Luis Saez aboard.
The daughter of Not This Time has finished in the top three in all seven of her starts, although all seven came in maiden company. She finally broke through last time out, winning by more than four lengths at this 1 3/8-mile distance on July 26.
Blinkers were added for that race, and the equipment change appeared to help. She rallied from well off the pace while earning a 125 final-time rating.
The question is whether she can take another step forward against stakes company. She has plenty of upside, and the added distance appears to suit her.
