Santa Monica tabbed as Waya favorite
SARATOGA SPRINGS » In Ireland, the British-bred Santa Monica won just two of 22 starts, finishing out of the money in 17 of them. Since coming to North America, the 5-yearold Mastercraftsman mare has won two of three starts and finished a close third in the other. Oddsmakers have made her the 2-1 morning-line favorite in today’s $200,000 Waya Stakes (G3).
A change of scene may have contributed to Santa Monica’s turnaround. So might the fact that whereas in Europe she – like all European runners – was not treated with Lasix on race days, here she has been. The other factor in Santa Monica’s favor is that she is conditioned by Chad Brown, who has been very successful with imported horses, especially fillies and mares.
Santa Monica comes into today’s race off a halflength victory in the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2) at Woodbine.
Mom’s On Strike (3-1), after having been brought along slowly, has shown she is ready for the jump in class to graded stakes, as well as for a stretch-out in distance. Her last two starts, her first in graded competition, have been at the Waya’s 1½-mile distance. She won the Bewitch Stakes (G3) by open lengths and then finished two lengths back in the New York (G2).
Lottie (4-1), runner-up in last year’s Waya, has yet to win at the distance, but has generally been competitive. This is the 5-yearold mare’s second start off a six-month layoff. In her return race on May 5, she was out-finished by a halflength in the Sheepshead Bay Stakes (G2) at Belmont
The lightly raced Homeland Security (5-1), also trained by Chad Brown, enters the Waya off a length victory in the ungraded River Memories Stakes at 1½ miles in her stakes debut.
The other Waya entrants include Summersault (8-1), Tricky Escape (12-1), Violet Blue (12-1) and Queen of Connaught (15-1).