Saratoga 2024: Didia & Chad’s 5 headline Grade 1 Diana

Didia looks for back-to-back victories at the top level, this time vs. a classy field of 10 in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes, a 1 1/8-mile, inner-turf test for older fillies and mares at Saratoga.

The Diana is slated as the 10th of Saturday’s 12 races that also include 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. The first post is at 12:35 p.m. EDT. The Diana is scheduled for 5:43 p.m. EDT.

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Owned by Merriebelle Stables and Resolute Racing and trained by Ignacio Correas, the 6-year-old Orpen bay was a Group 1 winner in her native Argentina who earned an elusive Grade 1 in the states last-out in the 1 3/16-mile New York on June 7 at Saratoga.

“The Diana is one of the most prestigious races in America,” Correas said. “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 José 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 with a final time of 1:52.29.

“She never is way back. She is always stalking the pace,” Correas 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 Jenny Wiley (G1) on April 13 at Keeneland, where she finished 3 1/4 lengths in back of the pacesetting Beauté Cachée 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 said 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,” Correas said. “Hopefully she keeps doing it the way she has been doing it.”

Although the top-flight 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 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational (G2) in January at Gulfstream Park, the Rodeo Drive (G2) in October at Santa Anita and the Modesty (G3) in May 2023 at Churchill Downs.

Ortiz will be back aboard from post 4.

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

The Mechanicville, N.Y., native has won seven of the last eight editions with Dacita in 2016, Lady Eli in 2017, Sistercharlie in 2018 and 2019, Rushing Fall in 2020, In Italian in 2022 and Whitebeam in 2023. He also won in 2011 with Zagora.

Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb and Michael Kisber’s France-bred Chili Flag, in post 10 with Irad Ortiz Jr., headlines the group after a closing score from last of seven in the one-mile Just a Game (G1) 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 are returning rivals along with Gina Romantica who was 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 Honey Fox (G3) on March 2 at Gulfstream Park and Distaff Turf Mile (G2) on May 4 at Churchill.

Although stretching out one furlong at this level is a question mark for Chili Flag, Juddmonte’s U.K.-homebred Whitebeam, in post 6 with Flavien Prat, proved herself at the 1 1/8-mile 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 First Lady (G1) in October at Keeneland and Matriarch (G1) in December at Del Mar to close her past campaign. It also was her first season for Brown after previously being trained 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 she was a neck back of Neecie Marie in the 1 1/16-mile Beaugay (G3) on May 11 at Belmont at the Big A.

Coppice, in post 2 with Frankie Dettori, is another U.K.-homebred for Juddmonte who looks to rebound from the Just a Game and earn her first stateside victory. The 4-year-old Kingman bay previously was defeated by a neck by Chili Flag in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill. Before that she was trained by John and Thady Gosden in Great Britain with a win in the one-mile Rosemary in September at Newmarket.

Head of Plains Partners’ Fluffy Socks, in post 7 with Joel Rosario, was a dominant, 7 3/4-length winner of the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette (G3) last out May 18 at Pimlico. 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 in post 5 with Manny Franco missed the board in the two efforts of her current campaign, including the Just a Game and Jenny Wiley. The 5-year-old Into Mischief bay captured the one-mile First Lady (G1) in October at Keeneland and the 1 1/8-mile Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) 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, according to Daily Racing Form, Gina Romantica ran a strong fourth against males in the Breeders’ Cup Mile in November at Santa Anita Park, finishing one length in back of victorious Master of The Seas.

Also seen at the past Breeders’ Cup was Kevin Attard-conditioned Moira, in post 1 on Saturday with Tyler Gaffalione. She was a last-out third there in the 1 1/4-mile Filly and Mare Turf after achieving that result traveling the same distance in the E. P. Taylor (G1) in October at Woodbine.

The 5-year-old Ontario-bred daughter of Ghostzapper who is owned by Lanni Bloodstock, Madaket Stables and SF Racing boasts a storied résumé 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 of a mile in 59.8 seconds over the Tapeta on June 29 before a half-mile move in 50.2 seconds 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,” Attard said. “Going nine furlongs against Grade 1 company (and) 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, in post 3 with John Velázquez. She looks to improve on a close third in the Just a Game for conditioner Graham Motion.

The 4-year-old Kitten’s Joy chestnut finished a head behind 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,” Motion said. “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 by a neck in 2020, Ultra Brat by a nose in 2018, Quidura by a head in 2017, Aruna by 1 1/2 lengths in 2011, Shared Account by a head in 2010 and Sweet Talker by a head in 2006.

Michael Milam’s late-running Neecie Marie, in post 8 with Luis Sáez, finished second in a pair of events in the fall at Belmont at the Big A including the 1 3/8-mile Jockey Club Oaks Invitational (G3) and the 1 1/8-mile Sands Point (G2). Trained by Butch Reid, 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 Beaugay (G3) 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 said was certainly worthwhile.

“She proved she belongs with those kind of horses, and that is what we were looking for,” Reid said. “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, in post 9 with Dylan Davis, who is riding for trainer Mertkan Kantarmaci. The rallying, Ballston Spa (G2) winner in August at the Spa was a pacesetting fourth last out in the Just a Game. She was within three-quarter-lengths of victorious Chili Flag and a neck in back of Mission of Joy for show honors.

Venti Valentine is entered for the main track only.