Joe Labozzetta Photo

Didia shines in G1 New York presented by Rivers Casino

by Mary Eddy

Merriebelle Stable and Resolute Racing’s Didia scored an elusive American Grade 1 victory with a sparkling 1 1/2-length triumph in Friday’s Grade 1, $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino, a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test for older fillies and mares, at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course.

The Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, which spans Thursday through Sunday, is highlighted by the 156th edition of the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets on Saturday, June 8. The four-day Festival includes 24 stakes races with purses totaling $10.25 million, the highest purse levels and number of stakes offered since the launch of the multi-day Festival in 2014.

Trained by Ignacio Correas, IV, Didia is a dual Group 1-winner in her native Argentina, but lacked a win at that level in the states after three attempts, including a second to the Chad Brown-trained Marketsegmentation in this event last year. That all changed Friday with a stalking trip engineered by Jose Ortiz, who guided the 6-year-old Orpen bay from off the pace to pounce on the pace set by Royalty Interest and draw off down the lane.

Correas, IV expressed his satisfaction that his long-term plan for Didia came to fruition in a race that included two entrants for Brown.

“She was like a monster. It's a great feeling,” Correas, IV said. “I targeted this race for months and months. It was really hard for me to lose this race last year. I never expected to lose it last year. I was disappointed. Probably the secret today was that Chad only had two in there. Usually he has four.”

Didia emerged in good order from post 3-of-13 as Royalty Interest broke sharpest from post 12 and quickly crossed over to the two-path to lead the talented field through splits of 23.18 seconds and 47.74 over the firm footing as Surprisingly stalked in second position with Didia in fourth into the backstretch.

“Beautiful,” Ortiz said of the trip. “Broke good, put me into a great position, just how we planned it and I just tried to go out there and execute the plan. Everything worked out perfectly. Once in a lifetime trip right there.”

Ortiz held his position comfortably in tandem with Sparkle Blue to their outside before stepping on the gas on the inside and inching up alongside Fev Rover in third position. A stalking Neecie Marie followed their run, gliding up a narrow opening on the rail to loom a threat to the pacesetter’s dwindling lead through three-quarters in 1:11.92.

The William Buick-piloted English Rose made a wide bid in mid-pack halfway through the far turn to set her sights on the top flight while a determined Surprisingly attempted to sweep past Royalty Interest at the stretch call. Nonetheless, Didia’s turn-of-foot proved far superior to her rivals as she took charge inside the final eighth to put daylight between her and the field. A game Neecie Marie rallied in vain down the center of the course to take second, but Didia was never threatened and crossed the wire first in a final time of 1:52.29.

“It was just what you want to feel when you are sitting chilly behind the speed,” Ortiz said. “I mean an amazing kick. That is what you need to win these kinds of races, a horse that gives you that kind of kick.”

Multiple Grade 1-winner War Like Goddess made a late move in the stretch to duck inside the fading Surprisingly and land show honors 1 3/4 lengths back of Neecie Marie. Surprisingly held on to round out the superfecta with McKulick, Fev Rover, Aspen Grove, American Sonja - who ran exceptionally wide in the stretch - Sparkle Blue, Royalty Interest, Star Fortress, English Rose and Be Your Best completing the order of finish.

Ortiz said Correas, IV had Didia prepared to run the race of her life.

“I’ve been working her. I knew she was 110 percent and Nacho, the good thing about him is he doesn’t run his horses if they aren’t 110 percent,” Ortiz said. “This horse he made sure she was 110 percent, and every time she steps on the track, she gives you everything she has.”

Correas, IV has trained several star mares, including Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff-winner Blue Prize and multiple graded stakes-winner Dona Bruja, but the veteran conditioner said Didia is in a class all of her own.

"She's an awesome filly. When she was opening up through the stretch I was screaming my lungs out,” said Correas, IV. “There is no doubt she's the best filly I ever trained.”

Didia entered from a game third-place finish in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, her first outing since an impressive win in the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf in January at Gulfstream Park. Her consistent resume includes additional graded wins last year in the Grade 3 Modesty at Churchill Downs and Grade 2 Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita Park, as well as the Listed Tom Benson Memorial last March at Fair Grounds.

For her New York victory, Didia earned $412,500 and improved her lifetime record to 17-11-2-1 while returning $20.60 on a $2 win ticket. She was bred in Argentina by La Manija.

The Pennsylvania-bred Neecie Marie earned a Grade 1 placing in her first attempt for trainer Butch Reid, Jr. on the heels of a breakout score in the Grade 3 Beaugay off a six-month respite on May 11 at Belmont at the Big A.

Reid, Jr. expressed his pride in the daughter of Cross Traffic.

“She finished strong, full of run. I can’t complain about that,” said Reid, Jr. “Being Grade 1-placed certainly doesn’t hurt. It’s her second start back off a layoff after she ran so great the first time. I think her next start will even be better.”

Buick, aboard the beaten Charlie Appleby-trained favorite English Rose, said the Frankel chestnut was hampered at the start.

“She was a bit restless in the gate and jumped a step slow,” Buick said. “I didn’t get to where I wanted to be, but I tried to get closer down the back because they weren’t going that quickly. She didn’t run her race.”

Live racing resumes Saturday at Saratoga for the featured Belmont Stakes Day card, headlined by the Grade 1, $2 million Belmont Stakes presented by NYRA Bets in Race 12. The lucrative 14-race card also features the Grade 1, $500,000 Ogden Phipps presented by Ford in Race 7; the Grade 1, $500,000 Woody Stephens in Race 8; the Grade 1, $500,000 Jaipur presented by Resolute Racing in Race 9; the Grade 1, $1 million Hill ‘n’ Dale Metropolitan Handicap in Race 10; the Grade 1, $1 million Resorts World Casino Manhattan in Race 11; the Grade 2, $350,000 True North presented by F.W. Webb in Race 4; the Grade 3, $350,000 Poker in Race 5; and the Grade 2, $350,000 Suburban in Race 6. First post is 10:45 a.m. Eastern.

America’s Day at the Races will present daily coverage and analysis of the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.belmontstakes.com/event-info/tv-schedule.

NYRA Bets is the official wagering platform of Belmont Stakes Racing Festival, and the best way to bet every race of the four-day meet. Available to horseplayers nationwide, the NYRA Bets app is available for download today on iOS and Android at www.NYRABets.com.