The Grade 1, $500,000 Diana Stakes is the centerpiece race on the opening Saturday of the Saratoga summer meet.
A field of 10 older fillies and mares, excluding main-track-only entrant Venti Valentine, will square off at 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course. Five horses are trained by eight-time Diana winner Chad Brown.
Post time for the Diana, race 10 of a scheduled 12 at Saratoga, is 5:43 p.m. EDT. It will air live on FS2 and on the New York Racing Association YouTube page.
Check out Horse Racing Nation’s free past performances page for downloadable PPs for the Diana and more, courtesy of our partners at Brisnet.
We also have Super Screener picks and analysis for the Diana as well as recent top speed figures for each contender.
| Post | Horse | ML | Beyer | TimeformUS | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moira | 5-1 | 103 | 128 | 109 |
| 2 | Coppice | 8-1 | 97 | 122 | 110 |
| 3 | Mission of Joy | 10-1 | 98 | 123 | 103 |
| 4 | Didia | 7-2 | 100 | 127 | 106 |
| 5 | Gina Romantica | 8-1 | 105 | 126 | 116 |
| 6 | Whitebeam | 4-1 | 100 | 124 | 110 |
| 7 | Fluffy Socks | 15-1 | 96 | 121 | 110 |
| 8 | Neecie Marie | 12-1 | 97 | 121 | 105 |
| 9 | Evvie Jets | 20-1 | 98 | 121 | 111 |
| 10 | Chili Flag | 9-2 | 98 | 123 | 111 |
| 11 | Venti Valentine* | 2-1 | 82 | 107 | 93 |
| *Also elig., MTO |
Whitebeam is expected to clear the Diana (G1) field early and set a moderate pace. Evvie Jets is projected to be her closest pursuer.
Pace projector appears courtesy of TimeformUS.
This week’s Super Screener has picks for the Diana as well as the Sanford Stakes (G3), the other graded event on the Saturday card at Saratoga. Super Screener creator Mike Shutty believes Soontobeking is capable of posting an upset in the juvenile sprint.
“Soontobeking moved forward in his second start just two weeks after his debut, showing the kind of balance you like to see from a 2-year-old as they stretch out. He didn’t have the greatest of trips but showed determination to get the win. He benefits from some time off here, and we anticipate a move forward here.”
Buy the special Now through Breeders’ Cup Super Screener package for just $97, a savings of nearly $400.
Ed DeRosa’s Diana Stakes fair odds are siding against the Brown quintet with Moira. If she comes off the bench to win this race, it would be trainer Kevin Attard’s first Grade 1 score.
Matt Shifman’s Diana analysis is more bullish on Brown’s entrants, specifically Chili Flag. J. Keeler Johnson’s latest Horses to Watch column is also excited to see Chili Flag back on track.
Laurie Ross and Ashley Tamulonis went head to head handicapping the Diana and came up with a consensus exacta box of Didia and Chili Flag. Find out what long shots caught Ross’ eye in particular.
NYRA and Fox TV analyst Maggie Wolfendale and Didia’s trainer Ignacio Correas IV joined the Ron Flatter Racing Pod to discuss the Diana and some of the most highly anticipated races during the Saratoga summer.
Here’s the field for the Diana Stakes (G1):
| Post | Silks | Horse / Sire | Rating | Trainer / Jockey | Last Start / Next Start | HRN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
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Moira Ghostzapper |
6.37 | 5-1 | ||
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| 2 |
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Coppice Kingman |
6.39 | 8-1 | ||
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| 3 |
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Mission Of Joy Kitten’s Joy |
6.70 | 10-1 | ||
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| 4 |
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Didia Orpen |
7.62 | 7-2 | ||
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| 5 |
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Gina Romantica Into Mischief |
6.80 | 8-1 | ||
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| 6 |
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Whitebeam Caravaggio |
7.15 | 4-1 | ||
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| 7 |
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Fluffy Socks Slumber |
7.07 | 15-1 | ||
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| 8 |
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Neecie Marie Cross Traffic |
6.74 | 12-1 | ||
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| 9 |
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Evvie Jets Twirling Candy |
6.60 | 20-1 | ||
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| 10 |
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Chili Flag Cityscape |
7.61 | 9-2 | ||
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| 11 |
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Venti Valentine Firing Line |
5.56 |
1st, Critical Eye S. |
2-1 | |
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1st, Critical Eye S. |
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