Saratoga: Grade I Diana, G3’s Sanford, Kelso headline stakes filled Saturday

By Christian Abdo —-

Didia looks to do it again at Saratoga Race Course in G1 Diana

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Merriebelle Stables and Resolute Racing’s Didia looks for back-to-back victories at the top-level versus a classy field of 10 in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Diana, a nine-furlong inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Ignacio Correas, IV, the 6-year-old Orpen bay, a Group 1-winner in her native Argentina, earned an elusive Grade 1 in the states last-out in the 1 3/16-mile New York presented by Rivers Casino, on June 7 at Saratoga.

“The Diana is one of the most prestigious races in America,” said Correas, IV. “We love to be able to run. She’s run a lot of good races so we always try to pick one at the right time.”

Expertly piloted by 2017 Eclipse Award-winning jockey Jose Ortiz, Didia traveled in fourth position of the 13-horse New York field that included multiple Grade 1-winners War Like Goddess, Fev Rover, and McKulick, before showing a strong turn-of-foot to notch a 1 1/2-length score over returning rival Neecie Marie in a final time of 1:52.29.

“She never is way back. She is always stalking the pace,” Correas, IV, said. “She can do whatever she needs to do. We are happy that she is good enough to be able to enter here.”

In the 9-1 victory, Didia avenged a third in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on April 13 at Keeneland, where she finished 3 1/4-lengths back of the pacesetting Beautee Cachee and runner-up English Rose, who was the beaten favorite in the New York.

Regarding facing some familiar rivals and talented newcomers, including five from the barn of Diana record-winning trainer Chad Brown, Correas, IV, said that all he can do is make sure his own mare is well-prepared.

“I can only train one horse and it is mine, so I need to focus on our horse,” said Correas, IV. “Hopefully, she keeps doing it the way she has been doing it.”

While the topflight coup wasn’t achieved until her last-out fourth attempt, Didia holds a 7-for-10 overall record in the states, including triumphs in the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational in January at Gulfstream Park, the Grade 2 Rodeo Drive in October at Santa Anita Park, and the Grade 3 Modesty last May at Churchill Downs.

Ortiz will be back aboard from post 4.

A quintet saddled by four-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown will not make it easy for the other five competitors, as Brown seeks a record-extending ninth Grade 1 Diana score.

The Mechanicville, N.Y.-native has won seven of the last eight editions with Dacita [2016], Lady Eli [2017], Sistercharlie [2018-19], Rushing Fall [2020], In Italian [2022] and Whitebeam [2023]. He also won in 2011 with Zagora.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Kisber’s French-bred Chili Flag [post 10, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] headlines the group after a closing score from last-of-7 in the one-mile Grade 1 Just a Game on June 7 at Saratoga.

The 5-year-old Cityscape chestnut rallied to finish a half-length over stablemate Whitebeam, with Mission of Joy and Evvie Jets close behind– all returning rivals, along with Gina Romantica [fifth] and Coppice [sixth].

Conquering the Just a Game marked the third consecutive victory at one-mile for Chili Flag, building upon closing scores in the Grade 3 Honey Fox on March 2 at Gulfstream Park and Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile on May 4 at Churchill.

While stretching out one furlong at this level is a question mark for Chili Flag, Juddmonte’s British-homebred Whitebeam [post 6, Flavien Prat] proved herself at the nine-furlong mark in last year’s Diana. There, she dueled the length of the stretch with the pacesetting Brown-trainee and then-reigning Diana-winner In Italian to prevail by a nose.

Whitebeam exited to run fourth in both the Grade 1 First Lady in October at Keeneland and Grade 1 Matriarch in December at Del Mar to close out her past campaign– also her first season for Brown after previously being campaigned by Harry and Roger Charlton in Europe.

The Caravaggio gray has finished second by a half-length or less in her two starts as a 5-year-old, the first was when a neck back of Neecie Marie in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Beaugay on May 11 at Belmont at the Big A.

Coppice [post 2, Frankie Dettori], another British-homebred for Juddmonte, looks to rebound from the Just a Game and earn her first stateside victory. The 4-year-old Kingman bay was previously defeated a neck by Chili Flag in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill. Prior, she was trained by John and Thady Gosden in Great Britain, featuring a win in the one-mile Rosemary in September at Newmarket.

Head of Plains Partners’ Fluffy Socks [post 7, Joel Rosario] was a dominant 7 3/4-length winner of the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Galorette last-out on May 18 at Pimlico Race Course. The 6-year-old Slumber bay seeks her first Grade 1 win with a 6-0-1-2 record at the level, as well as her first score at The Spa in her sixth attempt, with three close seconds.

Peter Brant’s Gina Romantica [post 5, Manny Franco] has missed the board in the two efforts of her current campaign, including the aforementioned Just a Game and Jenny Wiley. The 5-year-old Into Mischief bay captured the one-mile Grade 1 First Lady in October at Keeneland and the nine-furlong Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup almost one calendar year prior there.

After a head victory over In Italian in the First Lady that garnered a career and field-best 105 Beyer Speed Figure, Gina Romantica ran a strong fourth against males in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Santa Anita Park, one-length back of the victorious Master of The Seas.

Also seen at the past Breeders’ Cup was the Kevin Attard-conditioned Moira [post 1, Tyler Gaffalione], a last-out third there in the ten-furlong Grade 1 Filly and Mare Turf after achieving that result traveling the same distance in the Grade 1 E.P. Taylor in October at Woodbine Racetrack.

The 5-year-old Ontario-bred daughter of Ghostzapper, who is owned by Lanni Bloodstock, Madaket Stables, and SF Racing, boasts a storied resume that also features Woodbine’s 2022 Queen’s Plate against males and Woodbine Oaks en route to 2022 Canadian Horse of the Year honors.

Moira has worked extensively at Woodbine to prepare for her return, including a bullet five-eighths in 59.80 seconds over the Tapeta on June 29 before a half-mile move in 50.20 Saturday.

“I think this is a bigger, stronger version of her right now. Physically, this is the best she’s looked. She’s matured from 4-to-5 and she’s worked very well heading into this race,” said Attard. “Going nine furlongs against Grade 1 company, coming off of a seven-month layoff is not going to be easy, but she’s a good horse and I think she deserves a chance.”

Another Ontario-bred in the field is RyZan Sun Racing and Madaket Stables’ dual Grade 3-winner Mission of Joy [post 3, John Velazquez], who looks to improve upon a close third in the Just a Game for conditioner Graham Motion.

The 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy chestnut finished a head back of Whitebeam for place-honors after being nudged out to rally widest of all during a compact seven-horse stretch drive.

“She got carried wide on the last turn. A couple more jumps and she is there,” said Motion. “Maybe she will appreciate the mile and an eighth. To me, she seems like she is in great form, probably better than she’s been in, and I think she is a legitimate Grade 1 horse.”

The veteran conditioner, who has five stakes wins since the beginning of May including the Grade 1 Belmont Derby Invitational on July 6, looks to continue his run of success in the Diana.

Diana glory would be a first for Motion after saddling 14 horses in the race over the years and finishing second on six occasions, including with Mean Mary [neck, 2020], Ultra Brat [nose, 2018], Quidura [head, 2017], Aruna [1 1/2-lengths, 2011], Shared Account [head, 2010], and Sweet Talker [head, 2006].

Michael Milam’s late-running Neecie Marie [post 8, Luis Saez] finished second in a pair of events in the fall at Belmont at the Big A, including the 11-furlong Grade 3 Jockey Club Oaks Invitational and the nine-furlong Grade 2 Sands Point. Trained by Butch Reid, Jr., the Cross Traffic bay would not be denied there in her first start as a 4-year-old, closing to win the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Beaugay by a neck over Whitebeam.

Neecie Marie subsequently made her first Grade 1 attempt when a rallying second at odds of 25-1 in the New York, an attempt Reid, Jr. said was certainly worthwhile.

“She proved she belongs with those kind of horses, and that is what we were looking for,” said Reid. Jr. “She did have trouble a couple of times, too. I don’t know if it would’ve changed the outcome, but she certainly would’ve been closer [to Didia]. It was a big effort.”

Rounding out the field is multiple graded stakes-winner Evvie Jets [post 9, Dylan Davis], for trainer Mertkan Kantarmaci. The rallying Grade 2 Ballston Spa winner in August at the Spa was a pacesetting fourth last-out in the Just a Game, within three-quarter-lengths of the victorious Chili Flag and a neck back of Mission of Joy for show-honors.

Venti Valentine is entered for the main track-only.

The Diana is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 12-race program that also features a pair of Grade 3, $175,000 events in the one-mile Kelso [Race 2] for older turf routers and the six-furlong Sanford [Race 11] for juveniles on the main track. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

Studlydoright seeks to remain perfect in G3 Sanford

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – David R. Hughes’ stakes-winner Studlydoright puts his perfect record on the line in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford, a six-furlong sprint for juveniles, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by Jerry Robb, the Maryland-bred son of Nyquist boasts the lone stakes victory in the field of seven as he enters off a strong showing in the Listed Tremont on June 6 sprinting 5 1/2 furlongs over the Spa main track. There, he overcame a bobbling beginning and closed an 11-length deficit to take command in the stretch and inch clear to the 1 3/4-length score under returning rider Xavier Perez. The effort was awarded an 82 Beyer Speed Figure.

“He’s doing very well and I’m looking forward to running him again,” said Robb. “He’s just a nice horse. I was tickled to death with the way he ran and the way he finished. I’m looking forward to going a little bit farther with him. I think the more distance, the better.”

Studlydoright debuted in May at Laurel Park with a win against open company sprinting 4 1/2 furlongs over sloppy and sealed footing, rallying from six lengths back to drive home a 1 1/2-length winner. He was a $110,000 purchase at the Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Eastern Fall Yearling Sale and is out of the graded stakes-placed Curlin mare Peach of a Gal.

Studlydoright enters from a sharp five-furlong breeze in 1:01 flat Saturday at Laurel Park, a move Robb said was to his liking.

“Every work and every race has been a little better and a little better,” said Robb. “He’s just steadily improving. He worked all in hand in company with an older stakes horse and he refused to let the other horse get by. He did everything right.”

Perez has the call from post 6.

Repole Stable’s impressive debut maiden-winner Mentee makes his first start against winners after fending off the late rally of Colloquial in a five-furlong maiden sprint on June 15 at Belmont at the Big A for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.

The son of City of Light is a full-brother to the Pletcher-trained and Repole-campaigned Fierceness, last year’s Champion 2-Year-Old Colt, and was heavily favored in his debut where he set the tempo under returning Hall of Fame rider John Velazquez. He widened his lead to five lengths at the stretch call, but was met with a flying challenge from Colloquial in the final sixteenth. A confident Velazquez stayed calm aboard his charge and coaxed him along to hold on by a nose in a final time of 56.97 seconds, a track record for five furlongs at the Big A. The win was awarded a field-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We were very pleased with the effort,” said Pletcher. “I think he got a little bit idle on his own but was able to get the job done in a very fast time. I think the horse that was second is a high-quality horse as well, so I was pleased with his debut and very happy with the way he’s trained since then.”

Along with Fierceness, Mentee’s immediate family also includes Grade 1-winner Outwork, who captured the 2016 Wood Memorial for Pletcher and Repole. He enters from a half-mile breeze in 49.05 seconds Sunday over Saratoga’s main track.

“He had a very good breeze this morning,” said Pletcher. “He was in company on the inside of an older horse named Unlimited Potential. It was a good breeze and he galloped out nicely around the turn. I had him up six furlongs in 1:13 and four and then eased him down from there.”

Pletcher said Mentee shows the same level of professionalism as his accomplished brother.

“He’s a little bit ahead [of Fierceness] in terms of having his second start scheduled for July 13,” said Pletcher. “They’re both really push-button horses to work and it really wasn’t until, in both cases, that we got a little more serious in their breezes where we knew they had a lot of talent because they’re both a little quiet on a daily basis. Hopefully he continues to maintain his composure and handle everything as professionally as he has so far.”

Pletcher added he is hopeful Mentee’s proficiency at the gate can aid him as he emerges from the inside post under Velazquez.

“You never prefer the one-hole, but so far he’s been a very good gate horse in the mornings and showed good speed in his debut,” said Pletcher. “Hopefully, he’s able to get away cleanly.”

L and N Racing’s stakes-placed Three Echoes [post 5, Flavien Prat] looks to rebound from a third-place effort to Studlydoright in the Tremont where he was the 2-1 second choice for Hall of Fame trainer Steve Asmussen.

The son of Echo Town had a bumpy start when breaking inward under returning rider Flavien Prat, but recovered to vie for the lead along the inside in a three-way battle. He angled out in the turn to set his sights on the frontrunning favorite Touchy before ducking back inside for the stretch run. Three Echoes ran on strongly, but was in tight along the rail as a drifting Touchy came inward and Studlydoright surged past from well off the pace on the outside. A stewards’ inquiry resulted in no change to the order of finish.

Three Echoes seeks to add to a debut victory sprinting five furlongs in May at Churchill Downs where he pounced from 1 1/2 lengths off the pace and got up in time to win by three-quarter lengths. He was a $130,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training.

R and H Stable’s New York-bred Mo Plex [post 8, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] was an eye-catching 10-length winner on debut against fellow state-breds on June 20 at Belmont at the Big A where he battled for the early lead with Man From Malta and kicked well clear at the stretch call. Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the son of Complexity won geared down in a final time of 1:05.05 for 5 1/2 furlongs and earned a 67 Beyer for the effort.

Bred in the Empire State by Everything’s Cricket Racing, Mo Plex is out of the unraced Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy, a half-sister to multiple stakes-placed Little Daddy.

Completing the field are a quartet of maiden winners in Bella Mia Stables’ Mr. Squeaky Wheels [post 2, Jose Ortiz], who races with two front shoes for trainer Kevin Rice; Cash is King and LC Racing’s Baby Dukes [post 3, Jose Lezcano] for trainer Butch Reid, Jr.; Our Blue Streaks Stable and SGV Thoroughbreds’ New York homebred Soontobeking [post 4, Eric Cancel] for trainer George Weaver; and Peter Tournas’ New York homebred War Tax [post 7, Javier Castellano] for trainer Carlos Martin.

The Sanford is slated as Race 11 on Saturday’s 12-race card, which also features the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana in Race 10 and the Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso in Race 2. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Saratoga meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the spring/summer meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

By Mary Eddy

G1-winner Mysterious Night looms large in G3 Kelso

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Godolphin’s Grade 1-winning Irish homebred Mysterious Night will look to improve upon his runner-up effort last out in the Grade 3 Poker when he takes on a pair of returning foes in Saturday’s Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso, a one-mile inner turf test for older horses, at Saratoga Race Course.

The Kelso, slated as Race 2, is part of a stacked 12-race card that includes the Grade 3, $175,000 Sanford in Race 11 and the meet’s first Grade 1, the $500,000 Diana, in Race 11. First post is 12:35 p.m. Eastern.

Trained by Charlie Appleby, Mysterious Night will reoppose third place Talk of the Nation and fifth-place beaten favorite Carl Spackler from the one-mile Grade 3 Poker held June 8 at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga.

The 4-year-old Dark Angel gelding exited the inside post in the seven-horse Poker and saved ground from third position under William Buick as Ice Chocolat led through splits of 24.41 seconds and 48.17 over the firm footing.

Mysterious Night [post 2, Flavien Prat, 122 pounds] maintained his inside position into the stretch run where he was pinned in by Carl Spackler before closing with intent when shown to the outside late. But Ice Chocolat would not be denied the one-length score in a final time of 1:33.97.

The well-traveled Mysterious Night captured the 2022 Group 3 Prix Francois Boutin at Deauville as a juvenile ahead of a score in that year’s Grade 1 Summer at Woodbine Racetrack. He went winless in four sophomore starts but returned to form this winter in Dubai at Meydan Racecourse with a pair of seven-furlong scores, taking the Jebel Ali Free Zone on January 19 and the Group 2 Al Fahidi Fort one week later. The talented bay entered the Poker from a more than three-month layoff out of an off-the-board effort in the Group 2 1351 Turf Sprint in February at King Abdulaziz Racecourse in Saudi Arabia.

Appleby, who captured the Grade 1 Fasig-Tipton Belmont Oaks with Cinderella’s Dream on Saturday at Belmont at the Big A, believes Mysterious Night will improve second start off the freshening.

“He ran a good race there in his first start this season in America. He came out of it well and I feel he’ll be a live player,” Appleby said.

Out of the Shamardal mare Mistrusting, Mysterious Night is a full-brother to the Appleby-trained 2021 Grade 1 Just a Game and Grade 1 Diana winner Althiqa. His Group 2-winning half-sister, Star of Mystery, is entered in Friday’s Listed $150,000 Coronation Cup at the Spa.

Allen Stable and CHC Inc.’s multiple graded stakes-placed Talk of the Nation [post 4, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 118 pounds] pressed the pace en route to a third-place finish in the Grade 3 Poker.

Trained by Hall of Famer Todd Pletcher, the 4-year-old Quality Road colt boasts a perfect in-the-money record of 8-3-4-1 on turf led by one-mile wins in the Columbia last March at Tampa Bay Downs and the Gun Runner in September at Kentucky Downs.

Along the way, he has picked up Grade 3 placings at the Poker distance when second in the Manila last July at Belmont Park as well as a close runner-up effort in the Bryan Station in October at Keeneland.

Pletcher said he was pleased with the Poker try from Talk of the Nation, which came on the heels of a close runner-up effort to Carl Spackler in the Listed Opening Verse on May 2 at Churchill Downs.

“I thought it was a solid effort. He just couldn’t quite get by the pacesetter and then hold on for second, but it was a good effort as was his race at Churchill,” Pletcher said. “He’s a remarkably consistent horse and I expect him to show up and give us a good effort again.”

Talk of the Nation is out of the multiple graded stakes-winning Street Cry mare She’s Not Here. His third dam, Vertigineux, produced Hall of Famer Zenyatta.

Carl Spackler [post 5, Tyler Gaffalione, 122 pounds] will look to avenge his fifth-place finish as the Grade 3 Poker favorite for four-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown.

The 4-year-old Lope de Vega chestnut raced three-wide into the turn last out but could not outkick the field, landing 2 3/4-lengths back of Ice Chocolat. The Poker marked his first loss in three Spa starts after taking both the Grade 2 Hall of Fame and Grade 3 Saranac here last summer. Carl Spackler entered the Poker from the aforementioned game head score over Talk of the Nation to kick off his campaign in the Listed Opening Verse at Churchill Downs.

Carl Spackler, owned by e Five Racing Thoroughbreds, is out of the graded stakes-winning More Than Ready mare Zindaya, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Western Aristocrat.

West Point Thoroughbreds and David Ingordo’s stakes-winner Northern Invader [post 3, Jose Ortiz, 118 pounds] will make his Saratoga debut for trainer Cherie DeVaux.

The 4-year-old Collected chestnut captured the one-mile Gio Ponti in October at Belmont at the Big A, utilizing a prominent trip engineered by returning pilot Jose Ortiz. He completed his sophomore campaign with runner-up efforts to Gigante in the off-the-turf Commonwealth Turf in November at Churchill Downs and the Woodchopper in December at Fair Grounds.

Northern Invader returned to the winner’s circle in April at Keeneland with a gate-to-wire allowance score, besting stakes-winner Belouni by 2 1/4-lengths. Last out, he set the tempo in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Arlington on June 1 at Churchill before fading to fourth when five-lengths back of the victorious Appleby-trainee Ottoman Fleet, who exited to win the Grade 2 Wise Dan there.

Bred in Ontario by Anderson Farms Ont. Inc and Peter A. Berglar Racing Int., the $310,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase is out of the winning Arch mare Androeah, who is a full-sister to Grade 1-winner Archarcharch.

Rounding out the field is Michael Dubb’s six-time winner Call Me Harry [post 1, Luis Saez, 118 pounds] for trainer Rick Dutrow, Jr. Repo Rocks has been entered for the main track only.

The Kelso, which was previously run as the Forbidden Apple from 2014-22, was renamed in 2023. Kelso, the Hall of Fame homebred for Bohemia Stable, earned five Horse of the Year titles while setting or equaling eight different track records in a career that spanned from 1959 to 1966. He was enshrined in the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame in 1967 for a career that saw him earn 31 total stakes victories and nearly $2 million in total purses.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Saratoga Race Course, and the best way to bet every race of the summer meet. Available to horse players nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.

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Contact: Keith McCalmont