The Diana (Grade 1)- $500.000 Purse
SAR- For Fillies and Mares Four Years Old and Upward
One Mile and One Eighth on the Turf
July 16, 2022

It’s time to head back to beautiful Saratoga Race Course as the 2022 meet gets underway. The meet officially got started on Thursday, and the first weekend of the meet will give us some great stakes action. The Grade 1 Diana will be the highlight of Saturday, and some true stars of the game are going to the gate to try and get the winner’s share of the $500.000 Purse. La Terrifiant will be looking to go back to back in the race, and this is something that has happened twice in the race’s history. Miz Liz did so in 2009 and 2010, and the next one came immediately after with A Little Oblivion in 2011 and 2012. A win by La Terrifiant would also be the fourth in a row for trainer Smokey Stover. She should have a great chance to do so, but meets some very capable opposition that can keep her from the winner’s circle. Let’s meet the field!

#1- Wbf No Regrets (TwinTowersRacing, ridden by J Lezcano)- The seven year old mare returned to the turf last month for the first time in over two years, and did so in the Grade 1 NY at BEL. The trainer certainly did not regret the decision after she finished second, even if she was three lengths behind the winner. There are several in here from that race, including its winner, Perfectly Pink. Over her 41 starts, she has won thirteen times, with the most recent being the Grade 2 Azeri BC at OP in March.

#2- Shining Moments (RNP Stables, ridden by A R Rodriguez)- We may be used to seeing this jockey at PEN, but he will get a shining moment opportunity to race here at SAR. We also saw this filly last month in the Grade 1 NY, but she failed to cash a check in the race. That’s not the last time she has been on the track, though, as earlier this month, she was sent out there for the Grade 2 Fleur de Lis Handicap, and was second of four at CD that day. Now, it’s race three in five weeks, which isn’t unprecedented but certainly no easy chore.

#3- Marner (Mb Stables, ridden by E Jaramillo)- Picked up by the trainer in private sales for $100.000 in August, and since that time, he’s won four of seven. Something that her namesake has never been able to do in a series. Her last race was at the beginning of last month, coming in the Grade 3 ET Mint Julep Handicap at CD. It was an impressive wire to wire victory, and she’s made a habit of doing that while a member of Mb Stables. This is the longest she has run, so that task will be a little tougher but there may still be some untapped upside with this one.

#4- La Terrifiant (Smokey Stover, ridden by Mario Gutierrez)- Following her last race, which saw her place second to Versailles in the Grade 1 Just A Game at BEL last month, La Terrifiant moved just five bucks shy of $7,000.000 in career earnings. This will be the 49th start for this amazing seven year old, and it may result in her second Diana win. There’s nothing wrong with her form, as she continually puts together efforts that earn triple digit or high 90-SRF’s, but I was curious to see a more recent work than the last one showing from mid-May.

#5- Proud Eights (Mb Stables, ridden by C J Hernandez)- In her last start, Proud Eights picked the victory in the Grade 1 Gamely at SA in late May. It would be her first win since October for the mare, and that race was her debut for the trainer after he spent $750.000 to acquire her in private sales. Her win in the Gamely also marked her second straight in that race, and last year, she came here off of that win. Proud Eights was third there, but did win the Beverly D a month later. Mb would love to see her begin the kind of hot stretch she had to finish off her Fractious career.

#6- Versailles (D J C Racing Stables, ridden by L Saez)- Last month, Versailles picked up her signature victory, winning the Grade 1 Just A Game while looking back at La Terrifiant right behind her. It was her second win of 2022, and she has hit the board in four of her five starts this year. In terms of overall success, most of the others in her can claim they have done more, but she’s done well to step up her game as a four year old and won’t take any issue to this race being an eighth of a mile longer than the Just A Game. We’ll certainly have to take notice of her if she wins this race as well.

#7- Perfectly Pink (The Freakshow, ridden by J C Ferrer)- When La Terrifiant is in a race, she will normally be considered the one to beat, but I don’t think she is here. Perfectly Pink has simply caught fire since being acquired by The Freakshow in the September 2021 auction for $16.030, or $733.970 less than Mb Stables spent for Proud Eights three days after Perfectly Pink’s auction date. Her quality of competition has steadily increased, and every time, this Perfect Command mare has responded, winning seven of eight, including an eye opening three length victory in the Grade 1 NY. That was almost eight for eight, but she was a close second in the Grade 1 Wiley. Did removing the blinkers do that much? Pretty amazing, and I look for another great run from her here.

#8- Ewa Beach (The American, ridden by M Franco)- She was here last year for the Diana, but it will not go down as one of her finest races. That didn’t matter for her later in the year anyway, when she went on to finished third in the BC Fillies and Mares Turf. Followed that up by winning the Grade 1 Matriarch at DMR, then the Grade 3 Pegasus Fillies and Mares Turf. Comes off a runner up finish in the Gamely and will be hoping for no raindrops (only a 4% chance of rain as of Tuesday) as she looks for redemption in this year’s Diana.

Prediction: 7-4-2-6

— NS

Categories: Grade I, STAKES ARTICLES