Tipsheet: 2026 Spinaway Stakes

An especially talented cast of eight juvenile fillies will run seven-eighths on the Saratoga main strip in Saturday’s $300,000 Spinaway (G1). 

Spinaway Stakes Picks

• #8 Life Changing
• #2 Summer Starlet
• #7 Angel of Kirk
• #4 Stress Relief

Spinaway Stakes Wagers

• $15 win and place #8 Life Changing
• $5 exacta key box 8 with 2,4,7

xacta key box 8 with 2,4

Spinaway Stakes Contenders

#1 BANDMASTER: Dark bay daughter of Enticed was a debut winner and finished fourth in the Adirondack (G3) in her second appearance for Barrera. The Kentucky-bred drilled a bullet four panels in advance of this tilt, but she will need huge improvement to challenge for the upset from the rail under Jose Lezcano. 

#2 SUMMER STARLET: City of Light filly roared home to one of the more impressive maiden wins at the meeting on Aug. 8. The Steve Asmussen trainee earned a massive 105 Brisnet Late Pace rating for her work, and if the filly stays in range early, then she will be formidable late with Ricardo Santana picking up the mount. 

#3 CHA CHA BABY: Highly Motivated filly was a dominant winner over maidens at Delaware Park second time out and was purchased for $460,000 out of that race. Now in the barn of Butch Reid, the filly ran fast but faces a tall order going to post against this group, and I prefer others. Mychel Sanchez comes in to ride the wildcard.

#4 STRESS RELIEF: LaRose trainee is two-for-two with open-length tallies in each, led by a decisive score in the Adirondack most recently. The daughter of Not This Time is bred to handle seven panels with relative ease, and I expect her to be a factor inside the final furlong on Saturday with Junior Alvarado in the silks. 

#5 GIRVY GIRL: Expensive daughter of Girvin decimated her foes by 15 widening lengths at Gulfstream Park at first asking and could be any kind going forward for conditioner Saffie Joseph. The March foal has posted a quartet of half-mile works on this main course leading up to her stakes bow and will be sent from the break by Micah Husbands. 

#6 HARPER’S CORNER: Schuylerville S. victress has yet to be headed from a pair of career runs to date and can’t be ignored in her first graded try. The Cathal Lynch pupil sure seemed to like the surface last time, and the daughter of Speaker’s Corner comes in fresh with five morning drills in the interim, as well. She will be forcing the action early with Paco Lopez staying in the saddle. 

#7 ANGEL OF KIRK: $500,000 Yaupon filly ran off to a comfortable win on the oval in her unveiling on July 11 and will be fresh for this heat. The Brad Cox charge was visually impressive in her facile victory at first asking and appears to have a very bright future for a trainer who has had a fantastic meeting at The Spa. Manny Franco inherits the live mount. 

#8 LIFE CHANGING: Top pick from the Pletcher shedrow was ultra-impressive in her debut romp on the course and looks to be sitting on another huge run on Saturday. The Life is Good lass has both speed and a turn of foot, and I feel that drawing outside of this fleet bunch will be a benefit to her, too. Flavien Prat jumps off of another contender to ride this seven-figure yearling purchase.