This Diana is no Daisy

Real Writing on Racing 💯

Last year the grumbling about the Diana (Gr I) being a short field dominated by a single trainer was a bit muted because of the star power of the undefeated Bleecker Street. Even in this watered down modern game, racing aficionado’s can still appreciate seeing greatness and the irksome dominance of Mr Brown when it comes to NY turf racing on the female side was put aside for the moment. Ironically the best filly that ran that day wasn’t the headliner, it was a stablemate thought of more as a pacemaker for her other talented barn mates, In Italian (GB). She streaked over the firm course, never close to being headed and crossed the wire in 1:45.06 which established both a new course record and a new boss of at the head of the American filly turf division table. Without an otherworldly performance by Aiden O’Brien’s Tuesday in the BC FM turf, In Italian (GB) would have been crowned 2022 champion Turf female but that hasn’t resonated in the racing community this summer as the lamentations about the state of the Diana (Gr I) have been loud. A five horse grade 1 race with one trainer controlling 80% of the entrants including the 2/5 morning line choice should bring condemnation from voices other than the unwashed masses though two time Eclipse winning writer John Scheinman certainly didn’t pull punches in a recent piece about this years Diana. I don’t know that running these sort of races as non-betting exhibitions really accomplishes much but at the very least a willingness to speak out is appreciated. As the great Doc Holiday from the classic movie Tombstone told the villain Johnny Ringo in the movies climatic scene… I say to the 2023 Diana… “You’re no daisy, you’re no daisy at all”.

Recapping yesterday’s races won’t read like War and Peace as the card was devastated by scratches (40 scratched and 55 runners) and honestly there isn’t a whole lot to say about most of them. The main track did appear to be tightened up from the overnight rains that led to the abandonment of grass racing.

🎠 Race one got the Spa scratch-fest 2023 kicked off with a dirt race being three scratch affair, leaving a field of five 2yo NY bred fillies to contest the 5.5 furlong state bred maiden special affair. The small group broke from the gate with Concerti on top with Book of Wisdom chasing in second, Run for Your Honey was third out of the gate, Awesome Czech in fourth and Astoria Park trailing in last. In a racing rarity, no one changed positions the entire race and they crossed the wire in that exact order. Concerti is a Mendelssohn filly trained by Joe Sharp for Three Diamonds Farm and was ridden by Luis Saez.

🗽 Race two was a MSW going 9f with a 1-5 favorite in Dreamlike who was coming out of a good third place finish in the Wood Memorial back in April. I tried to beat him which was folly as Irad sat in the pocket until angling out at the top of the stretch and just outclassed them, drawing away to an easy 6.75 length score in an excellent 1:49.71. Mr. Pletcher indicated they’d likely look for an allowance race as a prep for the PA Derby for the colt by Gun Runner.

🤷🏼‍♂️ The first quarter of the Wilson Chute races are usually slower than you’d think they would be so it’s not like comparing apples to apples…but if I told you prior to the Wilton Stakes that the leader would run the first quarter in 24.18 and it wouldn’t be Unsung Melody in front…you might assume that Luis Saez fell off her at the start. She didn’t break perfectly, brushing the inside filly coming out of the gate but Irad aboard Randomized won the race in the first 15 seconds by being aggressive, placing Unsung Melody and Saez in an uncomfortable position around that tight first bend and seizing the lead. Straightening away down the backside, Randomized had taken Unsung Melody’s best racing style away from her with Just Katherine and Accede chasing futilely. Turning for home Unsung Melody packed it in, Accede never got out of a gallop and Just Katherine picked up the minor spoils as Irad geared the Nyquist filly down late. Sometimes races just don’t set up anything like you expected and the lessons learned today should be, it likely won’t go the same way next time for this group of fillies and speed is always dangerous.

🦅 It was a reunion of Philly mainstays when Bensalem fixture, owner/trainer Kate Demasi’s Empire Sky rallied late under former Parx leading rider Kendrick Carmouche to take down the 5th, a MSW for NY breds moved off the turf to 5.5 on the main track. Tough beat for Finger Lakes shipper and first time starter Hensen who outran his 25-1 odds, battling on the lead with Russi before tiring in deep stretch and losing the bob for second to that rival.

🏆 The Coronation Cup went to wire to wire winner, Unified Alliance under an aggressive JJ Castellano for Tom Morley. Fav L Street Lady ranged up menacingly on the turn before faltering in the lane but did manage to hold on to the show dough. If graded races can lose a grade when they come off the grass…can Listed stakes become…uh…unlisted or delisted?

📉 Colonial Downs opening day handle numbers were off 24.6% from last years opener on a Monday according to HRN’s Ed DeRosa.

🎖️ Today’s Cross Country pick 5 features two races from Saratoga and three from the Meadowlands, an interesting mix between the two breeds. It’s a big night at the Big M, Meadowlands Pace night and as usual there is a strong supporting cast of races. Click here for free PP’s for tonight’s card.

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Diana (Gr I) $500,000 F/M 9 furlongs on turf

1. Fev Rover (Ire) - in career best form, rallied from last at Woodbine to win the Nassau (Gr II) in latest, defeating Moira among others. The problem here is that that race was only two weeks ago, she is facing In Italian(Ire) and the early pace scenario doesn’t look promising for her.

2. In Italian(Ire) - returned to the races in razor sharp form this season, figures to be unchallenged on the lead. In her only other 9 furlong try she set the course record in this same race last year. Frustratingly good.

3. Marketsegmentation - the good news is that she comes into the Diana in career form after she annexed the New York Stakes (Gr I) on Belmont weekend in her latest. The bad news is In Italian (Ire) is in here and her figs aren’t in the same area code.

4. Fluffy Socks - looked good upending Spenderella in her seasons debut on Derby weekend. This race looks tougher unfortunately for her.

5. Whitebeam - may get a stalking trip under new jock Prat, hoping to get the jump on the others chasing the merry go round behind In Italian (Ire) but realistically has to really improve to even hit the board.

Kelso Stakes (Gr III) $175,000 4&up 1 mile Inner Turf

1. English Bee - 7 yo doesn’t do much winning these days and hasn’t run a race good enough to win this in a long time

2. Annapolis - overcame a very soft pace and wide trip to get up to win the Opening Verse in his only 2023 start. Has solid record over the course and figures to be the one to beat here in a race with tons of early pace (at least on paper). Doesn’t hold a big edge on TG figs but race appears to play right into his strengths.

3. Mid Day Image - early speed type stretches out for Jacobson. Figures to add to the early pace mix if he stays in.

4. Ice Chocolat (Brz) - another turf sprinter trying to stretch out, at least his best style is rating and making a late run and perhaps can get on the board at a long price if the expected early pace is sizzling.

5. Big Everest (GB) - typically employs a front running style and should find plenty of company to press him.

6. Filo Di Arianna (Brz) - ran a bang up race on the lead in the Poker (Gr III) to just miss to Annapolis stablemate, Emmanuel. His best running style has also been a front running one so…

7. Anaconda - his stalking style might be flattered by the abundance of speed in here but is he good enough to out-finish Annapolis or Casa Creed? If you wanted to use him underneath those two, I wouldn’t try to talk you out of it

8. Casa Creed - veteran campaigner almost always fires best shot, this race seems like it suits with all the potential speed lined up. Won Fourstardave (Gr I) over this course and the one mile trip last year though got throttled by Annapolis at Keeneland last fall. Obvious huge contender like he usually is but might be at a ground loss disadvantage to his main rival in here.

Sanford (Gr III) $175,000 2 yo’s 6 furlongs dirt

Rather than go through horse by horse and say “really don’t know much but hasn’t run fast yet” until I get to Gold Sweep (who has run extremely fast for a two year old), let’s just save some time and space. It’s rare that you see a race on the big stage where one horse is clearly so much faster than the rest but here we are. Of all the supertrainers, Asmussen’s program is the only one that still stresses early season two year old racing and the makeup of the opening day Schuylerville and this race have looked more like fields that you’d see at Delaware Park than Saratoga. It’s not a criticism but more of a sign of the shifting sands of racing though big fields, even if they contain mostly ordinary horses (for the Saratoga graded stakes level) is a good thing. If anything this changing focus gives the smaller operations important races to target where they might not have to encounter endless Into Mischiefs and Gun Runners. That said, Gold Sweep towers over these and if anyone is to beat him today, you’d need a crystal ball to figure out who.

This Diana was a daisy, back when it was a handicap and three year old fillies regularly took shots like Wild Applause for the great Mack Miller and Rokeby Stable did this day back in 1984 under Walter Guerra. Check out the pedigree on her at the end of the video!