Communique coming around

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - On paper, the Grade 3 winner Communique would appear to hold a class edge on her seven rivals in Monday's $70,000 Signature Stallions Stakes at Saratoga. However, she has been unable to duplicate her form from 2008, making it tempting to look elsewhere for the winner in the 1 1/2-mile turf race formerly known as the Waya.

The Signature Stallions, run over the inner turf, is the co-feature on a nine-race card along with the $70,000 Albert the Great Stakes as the second week of this meeting comes to a close.

Last year, Communique won the Grade 3 Modesty and finished second in the Beverly D. and third in the Flower Bowl Invitational, both Grade 1 races. A quarter crack kept Communique out of the Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf, according to trainer Rusty Arnold. That quarter crack opened up after the La Prevoyante at Calder, where she finished sixth.

This year, unconvinced he had the same filly from a year ago, Arnold lowered his sights with Communique. She did finish second in the Grade 3 Bewitch before running fifth of six in the off-the-turf Possibly Perfect Stakes at Arlington on June 13. Arnold believes he has seen signs of life in the filly since shipping her to Saratoga.

"I think she's really come around up here," Arnold said. "She's eating better, full of life. I'm very optimistic that she's going to turn it around on Monday."

Trainer Graham Motion sends out the uncoupled entry of Jazz Jam and Winsome Ways. Jazz Jam has not run since Jan. 9 at Gulfstream, finishing ninth in a third-level allowance. Winsome Ways comes off an allowance victory going a mile over the synthetic track at Presque Isle Downs on June 13.

"I had not planned on running Winsome Ways, but it came up a fairly small field and I thought she really fit in the race," Motion said. "I always planned to run Jazz Jam. Even though it's coming off a long layoff, I think she's got a lot of miles in her. She kind of tailed off last year. I'd like to think that both of them are fairly competitive in there. Winsome Ways is a bit of an unknown if she wants to handle that distance."

Borrowing Base is 0 for 16 on the turf, but was beaten a nose in the last jump of the Donor Stakes on July 22 at Belmont.