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Diamond Oops’ Connections Will ‘Flip A Coin’ Between Breeders’ Cup Sprint, Turf Sprint

Diamond Oops and Empire of Gold, who finished less than a length apart at the end of Friday's $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2), are likely to return to Keeneland for starts Nov. 7.

Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and trainer Patrick Biancone's Diamond Oops was scheduled to leave Keeneland this afternoon to return to the Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida, according to assistant trainer Andie Biancone.

“He's just a cool horse,” she said of the 5-year-old Diamond Oops, who became a millionaire with his Friday victory. “My dad was very proud of him yesterday and happy.”

The victory earned Diamond Oops a fees-paid berth into the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1). However, Diamond Oops also is accomplished on the grass, having won the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco in his previous start.

“My dad will probably flip a coin,” Biancone said of making the decision whether Diamond Oops would be pre-entered in the Sprint or the $1 million Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1) also on Nov. 7.

“Most likely (Diamond Oops) would come back the week of the Breeders' Cup. He loves to travel. He is a lot more confident now, and he enjoys changes in distances and surfaces. Last year was like his 3-year-old year because he only had the one race in 2018.”

Johnny Evans and trainer Terry Eoff's Empire of Gold left Keeneland before 7 a.m. en route to Remington Park.

Dismissed at 51-1 as a 3-year-old making his graded stakes debut, Empire of Gold dueled with Grade 1 winner No Parole through fast fractions, opened a clear advantage in the stretch and was overhauled late by Diamond Oops.

“We knew he was good, but we didn't know just how good,” Eoff said of the result in which Empire of Gold finished in front of three Grade 1 winners. “He beat some pretty good horses.”

The only time Empire of Gold has not finished in the top three was when he was fifth in the Grand Prairie Derby at Lone Star going 1 1/16 miles in June.

“I just had to try him long once,” Eoff said. “His best lick is 5½ to 6½ furlongs.”

Eoff is planning to bring Empire of Gold back here for the $100,000 Perryville for 3-year-olds going 6 furlongs as part of the Nov. 7 Breeders' Cup undercard.

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Versatile Diamond Oops Runs Down Longshot Empire Of Gold In Phoenix

Last-out winner of the G2 Turf Sprint at Churchill Downs, the versatile 3-1 favorite Diamond Oops made the switch back to the dirt on Friday when he won the G3 Phoenix Stakes at Keeneland. The 5-year-old son of Lookin at Lucky ran six furlongs over the fast dirt in 1:09.24, besting 51-1 longshot Empire of Gold by three-quarters of a length on the wire. Trained by Pat Biancone and ridden by Florent Geroux, Diamond Oops is campaigned by the Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick L. Biancone Racing.

The victory earned Diamond Oops an expenses-paid berth to the Breeders' Cup Sprint next month, also at Keeneland.

Grade 1 winner No Parole sped out of the starting gate to grab the early lead, while Remington Park invader Empire of Gold moved up to add pressure through early fractions of :22.24 and :44.73. Echo Town and Diamond Oops were just behind the frontrunners early, while veteran Whitmore and Ohio-bred millionaire Mo Don't No tracked in mid-pack.

Rounding the far turn, Empire of Gold grabbed the lead away from No Parole and opened up by several lengths. Diamond Oops took up the chase, but looked to have too much to do with three-sixteenths of a mile to run.

Instead, when Geroux gave the gelding his cue, Diamond Oops dug in gamely and drew even with his rival. Empire of Gold switched to the wrong lead late, trying to find more, but Diamond Oops pushed past to hit the wire three-quarters of a length in front. Empire of Gold had to settle for second, while Echo Town was game late to deny Whitmore for third. Absolutely Aiden was fifth.

Bred in Kentucky by Kin Hui Racing Stables, Diamond Oops is out of the stakes-winning Whywhywhy mare Patriotic Viva. He started showing up in a big way last year, winning the G3 Smile Sprint on dirt before running second in both the G1 Vanderbilt (dirt) and the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile. He was eighth in the Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile before rebounding to win the G3 Mr. Prospector.

This year, Diamond Oops has not finished worse than fourth in four starts, and his overall record stands at 7-3-1 from 16 starts for earnings of over $1 million.

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‘Multipurpose’ Diamond Oops Back On Dirt For Friday’s Ogden Phoenix

Diamond 100 Racing Club, Amy Dunne, D P Racing and Patrick Biancone Racing's Diamond Oops arrived at Keeneland Monday morning following an overnight van ride from Palm Meadows Training Center in South Florida for a run in Friday afternoon's $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2).

Monday's arrival marked the second trip to Kentucky in a month for Diamond Oops, who was last seen in the Commonwealth winning the TwinSpires Turf Sprint (G2) Presented by Sysco going 5½ furlongs on Sept. 4 at Churchill Downs. In his lone Keeneland start, Diamond Oops was second in last year's Shadwell Turf Mile (G1).

“He's a multipurpose horse,” said Andie Biancone, assistant to her father, Patrick Biancone. “I think he is better on the dirt.”

A two-time Grade 3 winner sprinting on the dirt, Diamond Oops worked a bullet half-mile in :47.85 at Palm Meadows on Friday. However, that performance was not the key to the gelding trying the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix going 6 furlongs on the dirt, a “Win and You're In” for the Breeders' Cup Sprint.

“My dad had planned on the Phoenix,” Biancone said of Diamond Oops, who also was nominated to this weekend's Shadwell Turf Mile and Woodford (G2) Presented by TVG. Florent Geroux will have the mount.

Diamond Oops was accompanied on the van by a pony but not by Sole Volante, the 11th-place finisher in the Kentucky Derby (G1) Presented by Woodford Reserve who is co-owned by Andie Biancone.

“My dad wanted to give him more time (after the Derby),” Biancone said of Sole Volante, who was nominated to the Shadwell Turf Mile. “He is looking at bringing him up for an undercard race on Breeders' Cup weekend (Nov. 6-7).”

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Diamond Oops Gives Geroux Fifth Win On Oaks Day In Twin Spires Turf Sprint

Breaking from the No. 1 post position and saving ground throughout, Diamond Oops rallied from last to win Friday's Grade 2 Twin Spires Turf Sprint Stakes at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., giving jockey Florent Geroux his fifth win of the afternoon on the Kentucky Oaks day card.

Owned by Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC, Amy E. Dunne, D P Racing LLC and Patrick L. Biancone Racing LLC, the 5-year-old gelding by Lookin At Lucky is trained by Biancone. He covered 5 1/2 furlongs on turf rated good in 1:04.18 and paid $10 as the 4-1 second choice in the wagering.

Extravagant Kid, ridden by Tyler Gaffalione, finished second as the 2-1 favorite, beaten a neck, with Just Might a length back in third and Chaps fourth in the field of 12 older turf sprinters.

The win was the first on grass for Diamond Oops, who was bred in Kentucky by Kin Hui Racing Stables and produced from the Whywhywhy mare, Patriotic Viva. His best previous turf performance in three starts came last fall at Keeneland when second, beaten three-quarters of a length by Bowies Hero, in the G1 Shadwell Turf Mile while battling on the front end throughout.

Diamond Oops was shuffled back to the back of the field after the break as Wellable led the field through an opening quarter mile in :22.58 under pressure from Just Might. The latter took command on the turn, the half mile clocked in :45.85, but Extravagant Kid quickly emerged on the scene and appeared to be headed to victory.

Geroux and Diamond Oops began passing horses on the turn after trailing early, following Extravagant Kid on the inside. He came off the rail to pass Wellabled in midstretch, then closed strongly for the win.

“He ran big. He's an amazing horse,” said Geroux. “Patrick (Biancone) always told me this horse has a little bit of some kind of physical problems, but he has the heart of a champion. He'll run on any kind of surface, any distance, from six furlongs to a mile. We saw him last year when he almost pulled it off in the (Grade1) Shadwell Turf Mile. I have no idea what's next for him, because he runs turf, he runs dirt, he does everything.”

Winner of two G3 races in 2019 at Gulfstream Park, the Smile Sprint and Mr. Prospector, Diamond Oops finished fourth behind Mucho Gusto in the G1 Pegasus World Cup Invitational on Jan. 25. Given 4 1/2 months off, Diamond Oops then ran second in an overnight handicap at Gulfstream in June and trained up to the Twin Spires Turf Sprint at Palm Meadows in South Florida.

The victory in the $250,000 race was worth $144,150, upping his earnings to $938,590. He's won six of 15 career starts.

Brendan Walsh, who trained runner-up Extravagant Kid, said: “He ran well. Looked like he had the race won. He did that the one time he got beat here at Churchill, he made the front a little too soon. But in fairness to (jockey) Tyler (Gaffalione), he thought he had everybody covered. You can't just sit on him. He had to go with it, and we got caught out. But hat's off to the winner. They won the race. But he showed up again. We can't ask for much more than that. It would have been nice to win, but there you go.”

Geroux's five wins came in race 5 aboard Travel Column, a 2-year-old filly from the first crop of Frosted who was impressive breaking her maiden in her debut; in race 7 with Flabbergasted in an allowance race; in race 11, the G1 La Troienne aboard Monomoy Girl; and race 12 aboard Shedaresthedevil in the G1 Kentucky Oaks.

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