SARATOGA SPRINGS — Trying to assess Collegiate’s chances for a rebound in today’s Grade I Spinaway, trainer Mark Hennig is relying on two W’s: works and weather.

Hennig has been impressed with the way the juvenile daughter of Saarland has trained in the 51⁄2 weeks since running fourth as the second choice in the Grade III Schulyerville on a rainy opening day.

“She’s had a real good set of works between races. She’s been relaxing well and finishing strong,” Hennig said. “We’re looking forward to, hopefully, a fast racetrack.

“I wasn’t discouraged by her effort in the Schuylerville. I just thought it didn’t play out, the circumstances weren’t good. Considering the way the race unfolded, she hung in there pretty good.”’

Collegiate will face seven others in the $250,000 Spinaway, the last of three Saratoga Race Course stakes for 2-year-old fillies.

It is the division’s first Grade I race of the year, and the first time they are asked to go as far as seven furlongs.

“I think the longer distance is only going to help her,” Hennig said. “She’s a very, very big filly. She’s done everything right.”

Owned by Team Valor International, Col­legiate broke her maiden on a fast main track at Belmont Park on June 19, going gate to wire to wiin by 21⁄4 lengths over next-out winner Softly Spoken, earning a Beyer Speed Figure of 91.

Breaking from post two in the Schuylerville, Collegiate was forced to steady a bit along the inside at the half-mile pole, got through along the rail to take the lead nearing the quarter pole and battled into midstretch before weakening late.

Hall of Fame jockey Edgar Prado, aboard for both her career starts, will be up again in the Spinaway.

“She kind of ran up on their heels on the backside,” Hennig said. “I think Edgar thought when she broke, he probably wanted to move up and get into position, and when he asked her to move up, she really moved up and maybe put him in the race quicker than he anticipated she could.

“She is a big filly, and maybe in the mud he thought it might take a little more encouragement to get her there, but she went from being settled to right on their heels in a hurry. It was also part of the reason he went ahead and swung to the inside rather than waiting and

going outside when everybody was staying off the rail that day.”

Wanting to save ground, Prado opted to keep Collegiate inside all the way around, which turned out to be the slowest part of a sealed, sloppy track.

“She punched through there like she was

going to win it,” Hennig said. “I thought she was going to win easy for a second, and then she kind of got to swimming there on the inside.”

Also coming back in the Spinaway are Schuylerville winner Jardin and Girlfrienontheside, the Astoria runner-up who ran third.

Like Jardin, Mani Bhavan is unbeaten in two starts, having wired the Grade II Adirondack here on Aug. 13 to win by seven lengths with a 100 Beyer, easily the best in the field.

Three other horses, Mine All Mine (July 24), August Rush (July 28) and Casanova Move

(Aug. 10), are each coming off maiden victories over the track.

GOING GREEN

Off since running third behind upset winner Da’ Tara in the Belmont Stakes, Ready’s Echo makes his turf debut in today’s co-feature, the Grade III Saranac.

Second to Z Humor last August at Saratoga in his only start at 2, Ready’s Echo is 1-for-4 in 2008, breaking his maiden at Gulfstream Park in March. Trained by Todd Pletcher, he was second in an entry-level allowance at Keeneland in April, and third behind Casino Drive and Mint Lane in the Grade II Dwyer.