My Sister Nat Finally Scores Stateside in Waya

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY – Peter Brant’s My Sister Nat broke through for her first stateside score with a strong rally in the stretch to win Saturday’s $150,000 Waya Stakes (G3) at Saratoga.

Breaking from post 4 under Jose Ortiz as the 2/1 second choice, My Sister Nat took her time getting into stride and lingered near the rear. Up front, her Chad Brown stablemate Fools Gold posted expected slow fractions of :25.46, :50.72, 1:17.34, and 1:41.76 for the opening mile.

Tipped out wide as she completed the far turn for the second time, My Sister Nat sat third at the top of the stretch but still had considerable ground to make up on the leader.

Running heads apart with the 7/5 favorite Mrs. Sippy to her inside, My Sister Nat ate into the gap and took control just inside the 1/16 pole.

Keeping Mrs. Sippy a neck behind her throughout the stretch run, My Sister Nat completed the 1 1/2-mile, three-turn firm inner turf route in a final time of 2:30.26.

“We saved ground in the first two turns, and in the third turn, I started looking for a place to go,” said Ortiz. “Chad always tells me in three-turn races to save ground in two, and in the third, do whatever you want. I started working my way out and I’m glad it worked out.”

Mrs. Sippy was a clear second by 1 1/4 lengths in her first start since last November’s Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1). Fools Gold was third ahead of Beau Belle.

Completing the order of finish came Olympic Games and Quiet Dignity. Another Broad was a Main Track Only entry.

My Sister Nat’s win was her first since coming stateside in 2019 and her first since the Prix Bertrand de Tarragon (G3) at Longchamp in 2018. The French-bred 5-year-old Acclamation mare, a half-sister to the 2018 Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) champion Sistercharlie (also owned by Brant and trained by Brown), improved her overall record to 12-3-4-3 with $341,672 earned.

“It’s definitely special,” Brown said of winning the Waya for Brant. “It’s a race we’ve been targeting since he got back in the game. She just went into the Hall of Fame last year, the great Waya. That was really great to win this.”

My Sister Nat returned $6.90 to win, $3.20 to place, and $2.60 to show. Mrs. Sippy brought back $3.10 to place and $2.40 to show, while Fools Gold paid $3.50 to show.