Oaklawn: $200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes Recap

$200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes Recap
Compiled by Robert Yates | Photo Credit: Coady Media

Chris Ho, Vice President of Marketing

QUEEN’S MARTINI – Dig A Diamond Stakes – 4th Running

Saturday, April 25, 2026

Oaklawn Stakes Race Recap – $200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes

Queen’s Martini grabbed the lead on the second turn and held off Pronghorn by a nose to win the $200,000 Dig a Diamond Stakes for older fillies and mares Saturday afternoon at Oaklawn.

Ridden by David Cabrera, Queen’s Martini covered the one mile over a fast track in 1:37.21. Pronghorn, who was off last, finished 4 ¼ lengths ahead of Standoutsensation, the 6-5 favorite in the six-horse field. Runamileinmyshoes, Mad About Marie and Bundle completed the order of finish. Ultimate Authority was scratched.

The Dig a Diamond marked the 395th career Oaklawn victory for trainer Ron Moquett of Hot Springs, who conditions Queen’s Martini for the Fleur De Lis Stables of Naveed Chowhan, a New Albany, Ind., hematologist oncologist.

Chowhan privately purchased Queen’s Martini following a third-place finish in a May 20, 2024, allowance race at Parx. Queen’s Martini was exiting a fifth-place finish in an allowance sprint Feb. 22 at Oaklawn.

In the Dig a Diamond, Queen’s Martini, raced third down the backstretch, just outside Runamileinmyshoes and Standoutsensation. Heading into the turn, Queen’s Martini moved to the leaders, three-wide, and stuck her head in front passing the three-eighths pole. Queen’s Martini, under right-handed urging, opened a 2 ½-length lead with a sixteenth of a mile remaining and had just enough to edge Pronghorn. One mile races at Oaklawn begin and end at the sixteenth pole.

An 8-1 outsider, Queen’s Martini paid $19.20, $7.20 and $3.80. Pronghorn, who was making her stakes debut, paid $4.80 and $2.80. Standoutsensation paid $2.20.

Queen’s Martini, a 5-year-old daughter of Mucho Macho Man, raised her earnings to $341,351 following her fourth victory from 13 lifetime starts. The Dig a Diamond was her first career stakes victory.

Saturday’s estimated attendance was 25,000. Total mutuel handle was $6,913,722.

Racing resumes Sunday at 12:45 p.m. CDT.

Dig a Diamond Quotes

Winning Jockey David Cabrera (Queen’s Martini): “I learned a lot from her the last time. She doesn’t like too much kickback and she doesn’t like to be in between horses, in traffic that much. I knew we were going to have a little speed, so I just let her get out of there and put her in a good position without getting the kickback. And, of course, I won’t be in traffic. And, it worked out.”

Winning Trainer Ron Moquett (Queen’s Martini): “She tells us when she needs a little spacing and we like to listen. It’s very rewarding. When we got her, she was a little thin and she was kind of wrung out. The good doctor (owner Naveed Chowhan) let me kick her out for a while and do right by her and I love to see him get rewarded for that.”