by Steve Bailey

Grade 2 winner Mani Bhavan and Grade 3 winner Jardin each will try to stay unbeaten and add a second graded stakes triumph to their records as the pair takes on six challengers in the $250,000 Spinaway Stakes (G1) on Sunday at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Steve Klesaris, Mani Bhavan enters the seven-furlong race for two-year-old fillies off back-to-back victories in a maiden special weight race at Delaware Park and the Adirondack Stakes (G2) on August 13 at Saratoga by a combined 16 1/4 lengths.

The Storm Boot filly dominated the competition in the Adirondack, winning by seven lengths .

Padua Stables’s Jardin, a Montbrook filly, has been nearly as impressive in her two starts, capturing a maiden special weight race on June 22 at Churchill Downs by three lengths and the Schuylerville Stakes on July 23 at Saratoga by four lengths for trainer Steve Asmussen.

Team Valor International’s Collegiate won her career debut prior to a fourth-place finish in the Schuylerville, just behind Spinaway participant Girlfrienontheside.

"She's a very, very big filly,” trainer Mark Hennig said of Collegiate. “She's done everything right. I wasn't discouraged by her effort in the Schuylerville. I just thought that it didn't play out, the circumstances weren't good.”

In addition to her third-place finish in the Schuylerville, Michael Dubb’s and Park Avenue Racing Stables’ Girlfrienontheside also finished second in the Astoria Stakes on June 29 at Belmont Park.    

Steve Bailey is deputy news editor of Thoroughbred Times

The field, in post-position order, with (sire), jockey, weigh, and trainer:

1. Girlfrienontheside (Indian Charlie), Cornelio Velasquez, 119, Anthony Dutrow;

2. Winning Brew (Milwaukee Brew), Jose Espinoza, 119, Francis Vitale;

3. Casanova Move (Langfuhr), Eibar Coa, 119, James Jerkens;

4. Jardin (Montbrook), Robby Albarado, 119, Steve Asmussen;

5. Mine All Mine (Belong to Me), John Velazquez, 119, Wesley Ward;

6. Collegiate (Saarland), Edgar Prado, 119, Mark Hennig;

7. August Rush (Milwaukee Brew), Julio Garcia, 119, Wesley Ward; and

8. Mani Bhavan (Storm Boot), Alan Garcia, 119, Steve Klesaris.