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‘The Light In Our Lives’: Andie Biancone Enjoying The Ride With Breeders’ Cup Hope Diamond Oops

Assistant trainer Andie Biancone took Diamond Oops for a jog over the Keeneland track Thursday morning in preparation for a start in Saturday's Breeders' Cup Sprint.

Biancone has been overseeing the 5-year-old son of Lookin At Lucky's daily activities at Keeneland this week while subbing for her father, Patrick Biancone, who had been fighting cancer for several months. Although he is cancer-free now, the elder Biancone is in a Covid-19 high-risk group and so opted not to travel from his South Florida base at Palm Meadows Training Center.

Andie Biancone, who serves as his assistant trainer and exercise rider, also has represented her father at the Belmont Stakes and Kentucky Derby with Sole Volante.

“It's been a crazy year,” said the 23-year-old Biancone, who admits that her busy schedule has somewhat affected her grades for her online courses at the University of Florida.

She's able to escape all the craziness for a little while, at least, when she climbs aboard Diamond Oops, who enters the Sprint off back-to-back wins in the Phoenix at Keeneland and the Twin Spires Turf Sprint.

“Even without winning all those races, he's special to us. My dad always believed in him and has always been high on him. This past year with my dad getting sick, he's been my escape. I've been getting on him every day. It sounds super lame, but it's like therapy. He has such a big heart. It's so amazing being around him,” she said.

“I've been galloping him for about a year and a half. A couple of months ago, he literally dropped me and he stopped and waited for me to get back on him. He waited for me on the track and I got back on him,” she added. “He's so intelligent. His last breeze, I got emotional. I was, like 'What did I do to deserve such an amazing animal in my life?' ”

The versatile Diamond Oops, who was Grade I stakes-placed on turf and dirt last year, ran in the 2019 Dirt Mile, in which he encountered a troubled start and finished eighth at Santa Anita. He came right back to win the seven-furlong Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream seven weeks later and stretched out to finish fourth in the 1 1/8-mile Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream. He rallied from 12th to win the 5 1/2-furlong Twin Spires Turf Sprint and stalked the pace before kicking in late to win the Phoenix.

“He has such a big heart and is so intelligent, he's like a person. He has a huge personality,” Biancone said. “He's the light in our lives, for my dad, for me.”

Biancone would like to see Diamond Oops get a similar trip in the Sprint as he got in the Phoenix.

“He's really versatile. You can cover him easily. He's a really good stalker. Hopefully, he gets a good break and come with that closing kick,” she said. “When he sees another horse in front of him, it's game on.”

Florent Geroux has the return mount aboard Diamond Oops, who is owned by Diamond 100 Racing Club LLC, Amy Dunne, D P Racing LLC and Patrick Biancone Racing LLC.

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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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Veteran Whitmore To Make His Fourth Start In Friday’s Phoenix At Keeneland

Robert LaPenta, Ron Moquett and Head of Plains Partners' Whitmore will make his fourth start in the $200,000 Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix (G2) on Friday when he headlines a field of 12 for the 6-furlong main track test at Keeneland.

The Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix is a “Win and You're In” race for the $2 million Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1) to be run here Nov. 7. The race will go as the eighth on Friday's 10-race program that opens the 17-day Fall Meet, which runs through Oct. 24. First post is 1:05 p.m. ET with the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix slated for 5:05 p.m.

Trained by Moquett, Whitmore won the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix in 2017 and has been runner-up in the race the past two years. Whitmore has used this race as a final prep for the Breeders' Cup Sprint the past three years, a race in which he finished third in 2019 at Santa Anita and second in 2018 at Churchill Downs.

Seventh over a sloppy track in the Forego (G1) at Saratoga on Aug. 29 in his most recent start, Whitmore will be ridden Friday by Joe Talamo and break from post position three.

Whitmore, who won the 2018 Forego, is one of three Grade 1 winners in the field.

L and N Racing's Echo Town won the Allen Jerkens (G1) at Saratoga going 7 furlongs on Aug. 1 and most recently was fifth as the favorite in the Pat Day Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs. Trained by Steve Asmussen, who won the race last year with Engage, Echo Town will be ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr. and break from post position six.

Maggi Moss and Greg Tramontin's No Parole won the Woody Stephens (G1) at Belmont in June going 7 furlongs. Trained by Tom Amoss, who won the race in 2012 and 2013 with Sum of the Parts, No Parole will break from post position five and be ridden by Luis Saez.

The field for the Stoll Keenon Ogden Phoenix, with riders and weights from the rail out, is: Shashashakemeup (Corey Lanerie, 118 pounds), Absolutely Aiden (Chris Landeros, 120), Whitmore (Talamo, 120), Diamond Oops (Florent Geroux, 122), No Parole (Saez, 122), Echo Town (Santana Jr., 122), Empire of Gold (Declan Carroll, 118), Copper Town (Julio Garcia, 120), Lexitonian (Tyler Gaffalione, 120), Edgemont Road (Declan Cannon, 120), Mo Don't No (Gerardo Corrales, 120) and Midnight Sands (Joel Rosario, 120).

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