Dacita captures Diana Stakes
Among the reasons why many people prefer turf racing to dirt are the fact that horses are speeding up in the stretch rather than slowing down, as well as that turf races tend to produce more tight finishes involving multiple horses.
All of these factors were on view in Saturday’s Diana Stakes, a race that was decided in the final jump as four horses crossed under the wire within a halflength of one another. Dacita, furthest outside, got up with a final surge, just nosing out Recepta. Rainha Da Bateria and favored Miss Temple City were another head and nose back in third and fourth, respectively.
“It was like a replay of the Ballston Spa last year, when Dacita got up the last jump to beat Tepin,” said winning trainer Chad Brown, who saddled three
other horses in the race, including Rainha Da Bateria. “Dacita loves Saratoga and she knows where the wire is.
“The first quarter they were rolling along.
I know (the front-runners) tried to slow it down some, but it really set the tone of the race that someone from behind, or in mid-pack at worst, was probably going to have the best run.”
Isabella Sings tore through a 22.88-second opening quarter, maintaining her advantage as the field gradually closed in on the backstretch and far turn. Onus took over in mid-stretch, but was immediately challenged by Miss Temple City on the inside and Recepta to the outside.
As it turned out, there was one more wave of closers coming, as Dacita and Rainha Da Bateria got in gear on the outside.
Those two engaged Miss Temple City and Recepta as the four runners, fully
extended now, flew the final yards.
“She’s a nice filly,” said winning rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who has been aboard the Chilean-bred mare in her last two starts, both wins. “I got the perfect trip while saving ground. She came from last and came running at the end.”
Strike Charmer, Onus, Mrs McDougal, Isabella Sings, Sandiva and Wekeela completed the order of finish.
The time of the race was a rapid 1 minute, 46.25 seconds over a firm Mellon turf course.
Dacita, who races for Sheep Pond Partners and Bradley Thoroughbreds, won for the eighth time in 14 combined starts in Chile and the U.S. The Diana is her third graded win in this country, following Grade 2 victories in the New York Handicap last month and last year’s Ballston Spa. Asked about plans for his four charges, which also included Wekeela and Rainha Da Bateria, Chad Brown said, “It was Dacita’s day today, but all of them will probably head in different directions from here.”