Don Alberto Stable's Chilean import Guapaza appears to be the kind of pace player that could take the well-balanced field of turf marathon fillies and mares a long way Aug. 6 at Saratoga Race Course in the Fasig-Tipton Waya Stakes (gr. IIIT).
The 12-furlong race, worth $200,000, goes as race 9 on the card at the Spa in the race prior to the Whitney Stakes (gr. I).
Guapaza (Seeking the Dia—Guampa, by Dushyantor) has made four starts in the U.S. for trainer Chad Brown following a multiple grade II-winning campaign in her native Chile. Close in her first three, including a third behind recent Diana Stakes (gr. IT) winner and stablemate Dacita in Belmont Park's New York Stakes (gr. IIT). She broke through July 10 in the 1 1/2-mile River Memories Stakes, topping fellow Waya runner Trophee by a half-length while on the pace.
Three-time Eclipse Award winner Javier Castellano was aboard in the River Memories and returns in the Waya.
Brown also has W.S. Farish and Steve Mooney's Ball Dancing, a grade I winner at 1 1/16 miles last spring at Keeneland. Untested at the trip stateside, she did run second at the distance in a group III event in France in 2014.
Bridlewood Farm's Trophee was fourth in the New York Stakes (gr. IIT) prior to facing Guapaza last time out, finishing a half-length back in second. She figures to be mid-pack early with Joel Rosario named to ride. She is one of two in the cast for trainer Christophe Clement, the other being German import Desiree Clary(Ger), a nose winner going 1 3/8 on the turf July 8 in an allowance optional claimer.
The best last-out Equibase Speed Figures (109) are shared by Juddmonte Farms' Suffused, a clear winner of Belmont's Coronation Invitational Stakes at 1 15/16 miles, and Al's Gal, Ken and Sarah Ramsey's 5-year-old English Channel mare who ran second in Arlington's Modesty Handicap (gr. IIIT).
Trophee and Al's Gal are the lone runners in the field with wins on the Saratoga grass. Trophee won an allowance going 1 3/8 miles last August while Al's Gal won going a mile in a $40,000 claiming race in 2014.
Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, August 06, 2016, Race 9Entries: Fasig-Tipton Waya S. (G3T)
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Photo Call (IRE) Kendrick Carmouche 123 Todd A. Pletcher 8/1 2 2Achnaha (IRE) Manuel Franco 114 George Weaver 12/1 3 3Suffused (GB) Jose L. Ortiz 118 William I. Mott 7/2 4 4Real Smart (KY) John R. Velazquez 123 H. Graham Motion 6/1 5 5Vielsalm (MD) Forest Boyce 116 Lynn A. Ashby 20/1 6 6Guapaza (CHI) Javier Castellano 120 Chad C. Brown 5/2 7 7Ball Dancing (KY) Julien R. Leparoux 120 Chad C. Brown 12/1 8 8Al's Gal (PA) Luis Saez 118 Michael J. Maker 20/1 9 9Trophee (FR) Joel Rosario 116 Christophe Clement 6/1 10 10Desiree Clary (GER) Irad Ortiz, Jr. 116 Christophe Clement 8/1
