# Waya Stakes

The Waya Stakes is a Grade III American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares, three years old and older run over a distance of 1+3⁄8 miles on the turf held annually in October at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York. The event offers a purse of $200,000.

## History

The race was inaugurated on 24 August 1992 and was run over the distance 1+3⁄8 miles on the Inner Turf track at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York.
The event is named in honor of the French-bred multiple graded stakes-winning mare Waya who received the 1979 Eclipse Award as the American Champion Older Female Horse. Waya won the 1978 rendition of the Grade II Diana Handicap at Saratoga.
In 1996 and 1997 the event was moved to the main turf track and run at a longer distance of 1+5⁄8 miles.
The event was idle for 5 years from 1998 to 2002 and when it resumed in 2003 it had lost its Listed classification. The renewal was also taken off the Inner Turf track and run on the sloppy dirt track. The event was not held in 2008 and run on the dirt in 2004, 2007, and 2018.
In 2015 the event was upgraded to Grade III but since the event was taken off the turf in 2018 it only was a Listed type event.
In 2021 the event was moved to Belmont Park and the distance was shortened to 1+3⁄8 miles.
In 2022 the event was moved to Aqueduct Racetrack due to infield tunnel and redevelopment work at Belmont Park.

## Records

Speed record:
* 1+1⁄2 miles Inner Turf – 2:25.96 – Guapaza (CHI) (2016)
* 1+5⁄8 miles Main Turf – 2:40.19 – Ampulla (1996)
* 1+3⁄8 miles Inner Turf – 2:13.35 – Fairy Garden (1992)
Margins:
* 12 lengths – Born Twice (1997)

### Most wins

* 2 – Saratoga Source (1993, 1994)
* 2 – My Sister Nat (FR) (2020, 2021)

### Most wins by a jockey

* 3 – Javier Castellano (2016, 2017, 2019)

### Most wins by a trainer

* 7 – Chad C. Brown (2015, 2016, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)

### Most wins by an owner

* 5 – Augustin Stable (1993, 1994, 2004, 2005, 2011)

## Winners

| Year | Winner | Age | Jockey | Trainer | Owner | Distance | Time | Purse | Grade | Ref |
| At Aqueduct |||||||||||
| 2024 | La Mehana (FR) | 5 | Kendrick Carmouche | Christophe Clement | LSU Stables | 1+3⁄8 miles | 2:21.42 | $200,000 | III | |
| 2023 | McKulick (GB) | 4 | Irad Ortiz Jr. | Chad C. Brown | Klaravich Stables | 1+3⁄8 miles | 2:20.10 | $186,000 | III | |
| 2022 | Rocky Sky (IRE) | 5 | Manuel Franco | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | 1+3⁄8 miles | 2:21.42 | $200,000 | III | |
| At Belmont Park |||||||||||
| 2021 | My Sister Nat (FR) | 6 | José L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | 1+3⁄8 miles | 2:15.37 | $300,000 | III | |
| At Saratoga |||||||||||
| 2020 | My Sister Nat (FR) | 5 | José L. Ortiz | Chad C. Brown | Peter M. Brant | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:30.26 | $150,000 | III | |
| 2019 | Fools Gold | 4 | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | Wise Racing | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:27.21 | $200,000 | III | |
| 2018 | Tricky Escape | 5 | Christopher P. DeCarlo | Lynn A. Ashby | Jon A. Marshall | 1+1⁄4 miles | 2:04.08 | $186,000 | Listed | Off turf |
| 2017 | Estrechada (ARG) | 6 | Javier Castellano | Mike Puype | Slugo Racing | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:27.49 | $200,000 | III | |
| 2016 | Guapaza (CHI) | 5 | Javier Castellano | Chad C. Brown | Don Alberto Stable | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:25.96 | $200,000 | III | |
| 2015 | Goldy Espony (FR) | 4 | Kendrick Carmouche | Chad C. Brown | Swift Thoroughbreds & Bradley Thoroughbreds | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:29.04 | $200,000 | III | |
| 2014 | Cat's Claw | 4 | Cornelio H. Velasquez | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Helen C. Alexander & Jon S. & Sarah Kelly | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:27.08 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2013 | Qushchi (GB) | 5 | Edgar S. Prado | H. Graham Motion | Andrew Stone | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:27.21 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2012 | Kissable (IRE) | 4 | John R. Velazquez | Roger L. Attfield | Three Chimneys Racing & Trevor Harris | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:32.52 | $100,000 | Listed | |
| 2011 | Emerald Beech | 5 | Alex O. Solis | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:30.86 | $79,000 | Listed | |
| 2010 | Changing Skies (IRE) | 5 | Kent J. Desormeaux | William I. Mott | Swettenham Stud | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:27.46 | $70,000 | | |
| Signature Stallions Stakes |||||||||||
| 2009 | Queen of Hearts | 4 | Jose L. Espinoza | James A. Jerkens | Susan Moore & M&M Thoroughbred Partners | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:27.85 | $73,500 | | |
| 2008 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| Waya Stakes |||||||||||
| 2007 | Nunnery | 4 | Shaun Bridgmohan | William I. Mott | Claiborne Farm | 1+3⁄16 miles | 1:59.89 | $84,050 | | Off turf |
| 2006 | Shared Dreams (GB) | 4 | Edgar S. Prado | Christophe Clement | Sarah & Robin Leigh | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:29.08 | $74,450 | | |
| 2005 | Latice (IRE) | 4 | José A. Santos | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 1+1⁄2 miles | 2:28.70 | $66,700 | | |
| 2004 | Bounding Charm | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | William I. Mott | Augustin Stable | 1+3⁄16 miles | 1:58.51 | $65,700 | | Off turf |
| 2003 | May Gator | 4 | Jerry D. Bailey | Steven B. Flint | Richard, Bertram & Elaine Klein | 1+1⁄8 miles | 1:51.34 | $63,800 | | Off turf |
| 1998–2002 | 1998–2002 | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held | Race not held |
| 1997 | Born Twice | 4 | Jean-Luc Samyn | Philip Johnson | Sullimar Stable | 1+5⁄8 miles | 2:47.60 | $59,950 | Listed | |
| 1996 | Ampulla | 5 | Shane Sellers | Patrick Byrne | North Cliff Farms | 1+5⁄8 miles | 2:40.19 | $83,900 | Listed | |
| 1995 | La Turka | 4 | José A. Santos | Barclay Tagg | Luis de Hechavarria | 1+3⁄8 miles | 2:16.35 | $55,250 | Listed | |
| 1994 | Saratoga Source | 5 | Julie Krone | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 1+3⁄8 miles | 2:16.98 | $55,200 | Listed | |
| 1993 | Saratoga Source | 4 | Julie Krone | Jonathan E. Sheppard | Augustin Stable | 1+3⁄8 miles | 2:15.85 | $54,000 | Listed | |
| 1992 | Fairy Garden | 4 | Mike E. Smith | Roger L. Attfield | Barry R. Ostrage | 1+3⁄8 miles | 2:13.35 | $55,400 | Listed | |
Legend:
 Turf  Dirt