Lady Eli captures Diana Stakes
Although fan favorite Lady Eli was the odds-on choice at 4-5 in Saturday’s $500,000 Diana Stakes (G1), a legitimate case could have been made for three of her rivals: fellow Grade 1 winners Dickinson and Antonoe and the up-and-coming Quidura, the wise-guy choice at 7-1.
In the end, though, it was Lady Eli’s Day. The popular five-yearold mare, who has been involved in a number of tight races over the past year — her last six have all been decided by three-quarters of a length or less — got by gutsy pacesetter Quidura in the final strides to post a head win in a thrilling edition of 1 1/8-mile
turf staple.
In order for the result to become official, Lady Eli had to wait out an inquiry by stewards, who after a brief discussion, elected not to change the order of finish. Antonoe, was third, another length back. She was followed by Harmonize, Dickinson and My Impression. Antonoe and Lady Eli broke through the gate prior to the start.
“Today was one of her greatest races to date, maybe her best,” said winning trainer and Mechanicville native Chad Brown. “Giving eight pounds to the horse she ran down in the stretch after breaking through the gate, going a little wide — she just overcame everything. Today she proved she’s one of the alltime
greats. She might have been undefeated. Three times she’s gotten beat late in the stretch from behind.”
Quidura, who had run very well in her four U.S. starts since coming over from Germany last year, made the front under Junior Alvarado, with Dickinson (7-2) tracking in second. Lady Eli was content to race in fifth down the backstretch, behind barn mate Antonoe.
Quidura was still there wheeling into the stretch, but Lady Eli was passing horses and coming hard on the outside. She moved alongside to challenge just outside the eighth pole. But Quidura, who had gotten away with a moderate three-quarters in 1:11.4, still had some fight left. Those two went nose-to-nose the rest of the way, with Lady Eli edging by late.
“I was happy (with the pace),” said Ortiz. “It was a perfect trip following them. She’s a nice filly, and she always shows up. I had a lot of patience and waited until I felt like I was going to get there, and then I didn’t hesitate. I never hit her; I rode her with confidence.”
Lady Eli, a daughter of Divine Park, out of the Saint Ballado mare Sacre Coeur, races for Sheep Pond Partners. The Diana was her fifth Grade 1 and sixth
graded win over all. The $300,000 winner’s share boosted her lifetime earnings to $2,719,800.
It’s been 40 years since the Sanford Stakes was last won by a horse who went on to win the Kentucky Derby. A couple of Sanford winners have come pretty close since, Forty Niner in 1987 and Afleet Alex in 2004. But the last horse to put together the Sanford/Derby double — and for all anyone knows, the last one ever — was Affirmed.
The latest Sanford winner to try will be Firenze Fire. The two-year-old son of Poseidon’s Warrior, the second-longest shot on the board at 12-1, took command of the $150,000, Grade 3 race in mid-stretch and went on to score a onelength win. Free Drop Billy, the 3-1 favorite, made up ground late but ran out of room. The running time on a fast main track was 1 minute,
11.50 seconds.
Psychoanalyze finished third, 5¼ lengths behind Free Drop Billy. Baffin, Bal Harbour, Admiral Jimmy, Direct Dial and Nauti Buoy followed.
“The horse has always been very classy, but when he won first time (out), I was a little surprised,” said winning trainer Jason Servis. “I really was. We thought this was where we’ve got to take a shot and it all worked out, which is very exciting.”
Baffin broke on top and took a 1½-length lead into the turn, with favored Direct Dial his closest pursuer. Firenze Fire improved his position on the turn, moving up to confront the leader at the quarter-pole. The Florida-bred colt, put to the task with some serious encouragement from Irad Ortiz Jr., was clear by two lengths at the eighth pole and was not seriously threatened the rest of the
way.
“He did everything right,” said Ortiz, who won with his third of four winners on the day. “I threw the reins at him, and he really liked it. He was worked really good in the mornings, so he’s in good condition. Hopefully, he stays sound and healthy.”
The Sanford victory came in Firenze Fire’s second start, the first having been a maiden win at Monmouth on June 18. The New Jerseybased colt, a Mr. Amore Stable homebred, is the fifth winner and first stakes winner for Poseidon’s Warrior, whose biggest win came in the 2012 A. G. Vanderbilt Stakes (G1) at Saratoga.
Speaking of the future, Servis said, “I think he’ll run long. I asked Irad, and he thinks he’ll run long. He think he’ll get seven-eighths [the distance of the Hopeful on Sept. 4]. I think he’ll get a mile, mile and a quarter, really. He’s that kind of horse.”