Diadura, Limousine Liberal breeze for stakes assignments at Keeneland

Empyrean Stables and Two Princesses’ Diadura, the 5½-length winner of the Arlington-Washington Lassie in her most recent start, on Friday worked five furlongs in company in 1:00.60 with jockey Carlos Marquez Jr. aboard for trainer Mike Stidham.

Working with the unraced filly Rickey’s Girl, Diadura posted fractions of :36.40 and 1:00.60 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:14.40 over a fast track after the morning renovation break. The five-eighths clocking was the co-fastest of 17 at the distance.

“It is the first time she has worked for me on the dirt,” Stidham said of the undefeated filly who has won twice on Arlington’s all-weather surface. “She had worked on it in Ocala before I got her. The horse she worked with is a 2-year-old Bodemeister filly who has been training well and I wanted to give her a target.”

Diadura started a length in back of her workmate and finished a length in front.

“I would be inclined to do the dirt race (the $400,000 Darley Alcibiades),” Stidham said after the work. Diadura also was under consideration for the $150,000 JPMorgan Chase Jessamine (G3) on the turf on Oct. 12.

TRACK RECORD-HOLDER LIMOUSINE LIBERAL WORKS
TOWARD STOLL KEENON OGDEN PHOENIX START

Katherine Ball’s Limousine Liberal tuned up for an expected start in next Friday’s $250,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) by working a half-mile in company in :48.20 after today’s break.

Working in blinkers, Limousine Liberal started two lengths in back of his workmate and finished five lengths in front while producing fractions of :25, :48.20 and galloping out five furlongs in 1:00.40.

“I gave him a little down time after the (seven-furlong, Grade 1) Forego (at Saratoga on Aug. 27),” trainer Ben Colebrook said. “This was his second work back. We are going to shorten him up and he holds the track record here (for 6½ furlongs in 1:15.05), so that probably will be good for him.”

Also working after the break for Colebrook was Beverly Anderson and Edward Seltzer’s Caroline Test.

Working in company with stakes-placed 2-year-old filly China Grove, Caroline Test covered five furlongs in 1:01.20 with fractions of :14.40, :26.60, :38.20, 1:01.20 and galloped out six furlongs in 1:16.

“She will probably go in the (Darley) Alcibiades (G1),” Colebrook said of the First Defence filly, who finished second against males in the Ellis Park Juvenile on dirt and second in the Exacta Systems Juvenile Fillies at Kentucky Downs on grass.

“The only time she was on turf was at Kentucky Downs, and that was like concrete,” Colebrook said of the filly who broke her maiden in an off-the-turf race at Ellis Park. “I’d probably say she is better on grass. Her pedigree says turf. She is from a similar family to (Grade 3 Arlington Classic winner) Surgical Strike.”

Source: Keeneland Association