Opening weekend at Saratoga offers a graded stakes triple on Saturday, with a five-horse field entered in the featured Grade 1 Diana for older fillies and mares on the turf. Chad Brown trains four of the five, including defending titlist In Italian.
The G3 Kelso and G3 Sanford are the supporting races on Saturday's card, while Sunday at Saratoga is the 5 1/2-furlong turf sprint for 3-year-olds, the G3 Quick Call.
Four Virginia-bred stakes feature on Saturday at Colonial Downs, each worth $125,000.
There are three $100,000 stakes on a nine-race program Saturday at Laurel Park: the Big Dreyfus for fillies and mares 3 and older at 1 1/8 miles on the turf; the Prince George's County for 3-year-olds and up, also scheduled for 1 1/8 miles on the Exceller turf course; and the Caesar's Wish for fillies and mares 3 and up going one mile on the main track.
Saturday's Blue Sparkler Stakes at Monmouth is a 5 1/2-furlong turf spring for 3-year-old fillies, and features a pair of Christophe Clement trainees chasing their first stakes victories off last-out allowance wins: Love Appeals and Plentitude.
Meanwhile, trainer Gregg Sacco is prepared for whatever impact the weather may have on Sunday's $100,000 My Frenchman Stakes with both Freedom Road and Playground Legend entered in the Monmouth Park feature that day, but he'd prefer the 5½-furlong sprint for 3-year-olds remains on the grass. He would run both horses in that case – which would mean the opportunity to finally find out if Freedom Road, a son of Malibu Moon, will take to the turf.
Saturday
2:46 p.m. – Grade 1 Diana Stakes at Saratoga
The 85th running of the Diana features defending winner In Italian, who is sure to flaunt her usual pacesetting tactics. The 5-year-old Dubawi mare enters from a gate-to-wire victory in the Grade 1 Just a Game on June 9 at Belmont Park. She has earned a triple digit Beyer Speed Figure in each of her last five starts, beginning with last year's Diana – where she was the highest price of Brown's four entrants.
Initially campaigned overseas by Harry and Roger Charlton, Whitebeam made her Brown debut when a late-closing second beaten a neck to Evvie Jets in the one-mile Plenty of Grace on April 16 at Aqueduct Racetrack. The 4-year-old daughter of Caravaggio stretched out to capture the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Gallorette on May 20 at Pimlico Race Course, fending off a late rally from next out graded-stakes winner Sopran Basilea to win by 2 1/2 lengths.
Marketsegmentation, a 4-year-old American Pharoah dark bay, rides a three-race win streak, including the Sand Springs on April 1 and the Grade 3 Beaugay on May 7 at Belmont before stretching out past 1 1/16 miles for the first time to capture the 10-furlong Grade 1 New York on June 9 at Belmont. There, she displayed newfound frontrunning tactics and set a moderate tempo down the backstretch and held off a furious late rally from Didia to win by three-quarters of a length.
Fluffy Socks [post 4, Joel Rosario] enters the Diana only a slim margin away from achieving millionaire status [$994,580] and was last seen capturing the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile in her seasonal debut on May 6 at Churchill Downs.
Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse will attempt to deny Brown another Diana coup when saddling Tracy Farmer's graded stakes victress Fev Rover [post 1, Javier Castellano]. The 5-year-old Gutaifan bay will run off two week's rest after capturing the Grade 2 Nassau on July 1 over yielding turf at Woodbine. The effort was her first start since being elevated to third in last year's Grade 1 E.P. Taylor in October at the Toronto oval.
5:45 p.m. – Grade 3 Kelso Stakes at Saratoga
Big Everest brings a four-race win streak into his graded stakes debut in Saturday's Grade 3, $175,000 Kelso, a one-mile inner turf test for older horses. The horse won just one of his first five starts, but since being gelded ahead of his 2022 campaign he has won 6-of-7 outings – all in trademark gate-to-wire fashion.
Multiple Grade 1-winner Casa Creed [post 8, Luis Saez, 124 pounds] looms the one to beat and will certainly appreciate any pace that Big Everest can generate.
Mark Casse will saddle a pair of talented Brazilian-breds for owners Gary Barber, Wachtel Stable and Peter Deutsch in multiple Grade 2-winner Filo Di Arianna [post 6, Jose Ortiz, 122 pounds] and Group 3-winner Ice Chocolat [post 4, Flavien Prat, 118 pounds].
Annapolis [post 2, Irad Ortiz, Jr., 124 pounds] has banked in excess of $1.3 million through a record of 9-6-2-0 for Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher.
Rounding out the field are graded-stakes winner English Bee [post 1, John Velazquez, 118 pounds] for conditioner Graham Motion; stakes-winner Anaconda [post 7, Tyler Gaffalione, 117 pounds] for trainer Joe Sharp; and the stakes-placed New York-bred Mid Day Image [post 3, Florent Geroux] for trainer and co-owner David Jacobson. Gun It is entered for the main-track only.
6:19 p.m. – Grade 3 Sanford Stakes at Saratoga
Trained by Hall of Famer Steve Asmussen, Gold Sweep (Speightstown) enters from a dominant victory in the 5 1/2-furlong Tremont on June 11, sailing home a nine-length winner after pouncing from just off the pace under Jose Ortiz. He crossed the wire first geared down in a final time of 1:03.47 and garnered a field-high 91 Beyer Speed Figure.
Jive will vie to provide his freshman sire St Patrick's Day, a full-brother to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, with his first stakes-winner as he makes the step up from a gutsy debut maiden win on May 19 at Gulfstream Park. Jive was both the first starter and winner for his sire with a three-quarter-length score in the five-furlong sprint. The effort was awarded a 60 Beyer.
Jive will vie to provide his freshman sire St Patrick's Day, a full-brother to 2015 Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, with his first stakes-winner as he makes the step up from a gutsy debut maiden win on May 19 at Gulfstream Park. Jive was both the first starter and winner for his sire with a three-quarter-length score in the five-furlong sprint. The effort was awarded a 60 Beyer.
Debut maiden winner Call the Cavalry [post 1, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] enters from a two-length victory on June 4 in a five-furlong sprint at Belmont Park for trainer Kenny McPeek.
Completing the field are the stakes-placed Yo Yo Candy [post 4, Angel Castillo], who finished third in the Tremont and adds blinkers for trainer Daniel Velazquez; debut maiden winners Factor U and Me In [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche], who races with blinkers on for trainer Edward Coletti, Jr.; the Barbara Minshall-trained Triple Trea [post 7, Luis Saez]; His Rights [post 8, Javier Castellano] for conditioner Rafael Romero; Market Street [post 10, Tyler Gaffalione] for Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas; and second-out maiden-winner Ramming Speed [post 6, Gaddiel Martinez], who tries dirt for the first time after making his first two outings over synthetic for owner/trainer Kevin Rice.
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