Whitebeam led each step of the way in which to notch a repeat victory within the $500,000 Grade 1 Diana Stakes July 13 at Saratoga Race Course. The win was the a hundred and fiftieth Grade 1 win within the profession of coach Chad Brown, and in addition accounted for Brown’s ninth victory within the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for fillies and mares and his eighth within the final 9 years.
The Diana added yet one more glowing line to Brown’s profession resume that appears sure to earn him a spot within the Corridor of Fame as soon as he completes his twenty fifth 12 months as coach in 2032. A winner of two,289 races in his profession thus far, his horses have earned $289,300.559, putting him sixth on the all-time earnings checklist.
“It is 9 Dianas. It means rather a lot to me. It means rather a lot to my group,” mentioned Brown, a former assistant to the late Corridor of Fame coach Bobby Frankel.
“(Bobby) Frankel taught me effectively and he was at all times pointing in direction of this race. There is a very brief checklist of races once I left Frankel that it was simply instilled in me that he held in excessive regard and pointed in direction of. The Diana was manner up on that checklist,” Brown mentioned. For him to carry it in excessive regard, it actually should have meant one thing. So, I believed if I ever had ok horses, this can be a race I really want to deal with as a result of he isn’t incorrect a lot. I am very lucky to have horses ok to run on this race, actually.”
Whitebeam a Juddmonte homebred, was winless in 4 begins since taking the 2023 Diana however was coming off a sport second within the June 7 Grade 1 Only a Sport Stakes, when she completed a half-length behind Brown stablemate and Diana starter Chili Flag. The Diana was her third begin of the 12 months.
Whitebeam and jockey Flavien Prat grabbed the lead from the beginning, protecting the opening half-mile in :49.49 whereas main by a size. The early fractions had been modest, however Whitebeam started motoring after six furlongs in 1:13.76. As 2-1 favourite Didia tried to collar her, Whitebeam lined her subsequent quarter mile in a blazing :22.94 to fend off that bid and open a protected 1 1/2-length lead in mid-stretch on her strategy to a three-quarters of a size margin of victory.
“There was an absence of tempo on paper and the plan was to go on the market and simply attempt to management the race and see if she was ok to carry on,” Brown mentioned.
Didia dropped again to fourth. Moira, the Kevin Attard-trained Canadian-bred 2022 Queen’s Plate winner, closed strongly from sixth within the area of 10 to take second by a nostril over Gina Romantica, who was one other of Brown’s 5 starters within the race. He additionally despatched out Coppice (fifth), Fluffy Socks (eighth), and Chili Flag (ninth).
The 5-year-old Whitebeam ($11.60) lined the 9 furlongs in 1:48.14 whereas turning into the seventh back-to-back Diana winner. The win was her sixth in 14 begins.
Mo Plex grew to become the most recent poster boy for the profitable New York-bred breeding program together with his front-running rating within the $175,000 Grade 3 Sanford Stakes July 13 at Saratoga Race Course.
The Sanford area was dealt a curve ball early Saturday morning when 6-5 morning line favourite Mentee was scratched from the race. Proprietor Mike Repole had reported on X that the total brother to 2023 champion 2-year-old male Fierceness had sadly spiked a 102.2-degree temperature. With the absence of the speedy Mentee, the Sanford all of a sudden grew to become a wide-open enjoying area.
Mo Plex has surpassed all expectations after being purchased for a discount value of $45,000 at this 12 months’s Ocala Breeders’ Spring Sale of 2-Yr-Olds in Coaching. The Sanford victory got here solely 23 days after Mo Plex had demolished his rivals by 10 lengths in a state-bred maiden particular weight through the Belmont on the Massive A gathering.
“I really like the (New York-bred) program,” mentioned coach Jeremiah Englehart. “That is the place I name dwelling all 12 months lengthy, and I focus and deal with shopping for New York-breds. Hopefully, we have got a number of extra we are able to unveil later within the meet and have some enjoyable with. It is only a super program, and so they’ve proven they’ll run with something.”
Irad Ortiz Jr. spurred Mo Plex to the entrance from the far outdoors publish and cleared the sector within the first 50 yards whereas scampering to a bonus via a :22.51 opening quarter mile. Along with his opponents reeling behind him turning for dwelling following a half-mile in :45.92, Mo Plex drove down the lane and held protected by a diminishing size over a late-rallying Studlydoright.
“I hope the whole lot works out effectively with (scratched morning-line favourite) Mentee, and we type of benefitted slightly bit from the scratch immediately, however Irad rode him rather well,” Englehart mentioned. “I am actually excited with how he did the whole lot.”
Mo Plex ($5.70) stopped the timer in 1.11.72 for six furlongs on a quick fundamental observe.
Maryland-bred Studlydoright, winner of the Tremont Stakes June 6, completed a half-length in entrance of third-place finisher Three Echoes. — Molly Rollins
