Elsa Lorieul Photo

Motion looks to nab elusive Diana (G1) victory

by NYRA Press Office

• Dr Post records penultimate breeze for Kentucky Derby (G1)
• Funny Guy a strong possibility for Forego presented by America's Best Racing (G1)
• Lucky Stride to make United States debut in Shuvee (G3) for Trombetta
• Crystalle working towards 3-year-old debut; Mr. Buff targets Empire Classic

Trainer Graham Motion has reached the heights of the sport, winning four Breeders' Cup races along with the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby. But the Diana, for older fillies and mares on turf at Saratoga, is one prestigious race that has eluded him.

After saddling the runner-up finisher on five occasions, Motion will look to break through, sending out two contenders in Mean Mary and Secret Message in Sunday's 82nd running of the Grade 1, $500,000 Diana going 1 1/8 miles on the inner turf course.

Motion has come as close as possible to training the winner of the Diana without having a horse cross the wire first, with Ultra Brat losing by a nose to Sistercharlie in 2018. Quidura (2017), Shared Account (2010), and Sweet Talker (2006) all lost by a head, while Aruna was beaten 1 1/2 lengths in a second-place effort in 2011.

Even before his training career, Motion experienced bad beats in the Diana. Working for trainer Jonathan Sheppard, Motion was the exercise rider of the filly Wooing, who as a 32-1 shot finished first in the race in 1989 but was disqualified for interference and placed behind Glowing Honor.

"Since I've worked for Jonathan Sheppard, it's been a race I've always pointed horses towards," Motion said. "I even galloped a filly that got disqualified in this race, so it's been a bit of a nemesis for me. It's one of those races that you aspire to win. It's a race that has amazing history and with me training turf horses, and specifically turf fillies, it's always been a race that I've wanted to try and win and try to compete in every year."

Motion's contenders make up one-third of the small-but-accomplished six-horse field that features the Chad Brown-trained duo of 3-2 favorite Rushing Fall and Sistercharlie [5-2], who will be looking to become the first horse in the Diana's history to win it three consecutive years.

Alex G. Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary drew the outside post with Luis Saez aboard. Listed at 3-1, she enters 3-for-3 in her 4-year-old campaign and with four consecutive wins overall dating to a December victory over optional claimers at Gulfstream Park.

In her 2020 bow, she wired a 10-horse field going 1 ½ miles to win the Grade 3 La Prevoyante by five lengths in January at Gulfstream and again won over the track in the 1 3/8-mile Grade 3 Orchid in March. Last out, she was shortened to 1 ¼ miles and responded with a stellar 5 ¼-length score in the Grade 2 New York that netted Mean Mary her first career triple digit Beyer Speed Figure at 101.

Since making her debut running fifth on dirt in September, Mean Mary has won five of her six turf starts and came in second in the other; a one-mile allowance contest in November at Aqueduct Racetrack.

"She impressed me when she broke her maiden and she's just continued to improve," Motion said. "When she ran in the stake the first time [the La Prevoyante], it was more about the races that were available to her, and I just had a feeling she'd handle the extra distance and she handled it well."

After proving she likes longer distances, Motion said the 1 1/8-mile Diana will be a good indicator as he prepares her for a potential start in the Grade 1, $2 million Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at 1 3/16-miles in November at Keeneland.

"She's been pointing to this race for a long time," Motion said. "With the Breeders' Cup, I need to find out if she can handle these shorter distances. She certainly did before we started running her at these longer races, but not at this level. She's trained really well for this race and hasn't really missed a beat."

Secret Message, owned by Madaket Stables, Heider Family Stables, ERJ Racing, Elayne Stables Five and Steve Bouchey, is the longest shot on the board in the Diana at 20-1, drawing post 2 with Irad Ortiz, Jr. aboard.

The 5-year-old daughter of Hat Trick is also coming off a short turnaround after running third in last week's Perfect Sting at the Spa. After running sixth in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley on July 11 at Keeneland, won by Rushing Fall, Secret Message earned blacktype in the 1 1/16-mile Perfect Sting on August 14 and will wheel right back.

"The racing this year has been different because it's come up so competitive even though it's listed races," Motion said. "We feel like we haven't been able to run her as much as we normally would. The fact that she's a big, robust filly; we felt she could handle a quick turnaround. She really ran the last quarter-mile last weekend and really sprinted home. She sprinted home as fast as anyone."

Motion is approaching 2,500 career wins [2,477 entering Friday] and won the 2011 Grade 1 Kentucky Derby with Animal Kingdom, who also ran second in that year's Grade 1 Preakness. He has earned placing in the other two American Classics, saddling runner-up Irish War Cry in the 2017 Grade 1 Belmont Stakes and Icabad Crane to a third-place effort in the 2008 Preakness. He won last year's Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with Sharing and is a two-time winner of the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Turf with Main Sequence (2014) and Better Talk Now (2004). Shared Account won the 2010 Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf.

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Dr Post records penultimate work before Kentucky Derby (G1)

Grade 1 Belmont Stakes runner-up Dr Post resumed serious preparations for the Grade 1 Kentucky Derby on Friday morning for trainer Todd Pletcher.

Under mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-60s, the 3-year-old son of Quality Road went to the track following the renovation break, and completed his five-eighths work in company with stablemate Money Moves in 1:00.75 over a fast main track.

"It was a good work for him today. He galloped out well and I was very happy with what I saw out of him," said Pletcher, who won the Kentucky Derby with Super Saver (2010) and Always Dreaming (2017).

Pletcher said that Dr Post would work once more next Friday, August 28 over the Saratoga main track before shipping to Churchill Downs.

Owned by Vincent Viola's St. Elias Stable, Dr Post will arrive at the Kentucky Derby off a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational on July 16 at Monmouth Park after running second to likely Kentucky Derby favorite Tiz the Law in the Belmont Stakes. His lone stakes victory to date took place in the Unbridled on April 26 at Gulfstream Park, where he was a 1 ½-length winner.

Pletcher holds the record for the most Kentucky Derby contestants, having saddled 54 contenders dating back to 2000, where he sent out Impeachment (third), More Than Ready (fourth) and Trippi (11th). He has finished second twice and third on four occasions, and his total number of starts is five more than the next-closest competitor in Hall of Famer and Pletcher mentor D. Wayne Lukas, who has sent out 49 starters.

Also on Friday, Pletcher sent out Robert and Lawana Low's Sweet Melania for a breeze over the Oklahoma training turf course, where she completed a half-mile move in 48.72 seconds in preparation for an attempt at a third graded stakes win in the Grade 3, $100,000 Lake George on Friday, August 28.

The daughter of 2015 Triple Crown winner and second crop sire American Pharoah was an easy gate-to-wire winner of the last out Grade 3 Wonder Again over the Widener turf at Belmont Park. As a 2-year-old, she won the Grade 2 Jessamine at Keeneland en route to a third-place finish in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita.

"She worked well and finished up nicely," Pletcher said.

Bred in Kentucky by St Elias Stables, Sweet Melania is out of the Discreet Cat mare Sweet N Discreet and is a direct descendant of prolific broodmare Lassie Dear. She was bought for $600,000 from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where she was consigned by Gainesway. 

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Funny Guy on target for Forego presented by America's Best Racing (G1)

Gatsas Stable, R. A. Hill Stable and Swick Stables' Funny Guy is a strong possibility for the Grade 1, $300,000 Forego presented by America's Best Racing according to trainer John Terranova, who said that the Big Brown colt continues to train forwardly since a victory against New York-breds in the John Morrisey.

The consistent and versatile Funny Guy, who boasts a record of 12-5-4-0, owns victories at distances ranging from 6 ½ furlongs to 1 1/8 miles. In his most recent breeze, he drilled through five-eighths in 59.80 seconds over the Saratoga main track on Tuesday morning.

"Right now, that's what we're thinking," Terranova said of the Forego, to be contested at seven furlongs. "He's doing great and had a nice breeze the other day. So, we're all set if we go there. I kind of looked ahead to see what was in the fall. It's a strong possibility we'll be in there."

Bred in the Empire State by Hibiscus Stables, Funny Guy is unbeaten in both of his starts this year. Prior to the Morrissey, he won the Commentator at Belmont Park, registering a career-best 101 Beyer off a nearly nine-month layoff.

In his lone start against open company, Funny Guy was sixth in the Grade 3 Oklahoma Derby on September 29 at Remington Park, beaten six lengths to Owendale.

"I think he's a top-class racehorse," Terranova said. "He can do just about anything. He has a lot of good qualities about him. He's really smart. I'm not really concerned about distances or anything about that. He's showing us all good stuff right now."

Funny Guy will be attempting a fifth stakes victory should he enter the Forego. Last year he won the NYSSS Times Square and later captured the Albany at the Spa.

Terranova spoke highly of Thursday's Tale of the Cat winner Stan the Man, who made a last-to-first rally in a compact five-horse field with the quintet of runners all in equal pursuit at the eighth-pole.

"That was fun watching that race. It was neat how they were all stacked across the track," Terranova said.

Terranova said he has not thought past the Tale of the Cat, which was the son of Broken Vow's second stakes win. He rounded out last season with a triumph in the 1 1/8-mile Queens County in December at Aqueduct. Stan the Man arrived at the Tale of the Cat off a runner-up effort to Firenze Fire in the Grade 2 True North on June 27 at Belmont Park.

"We'll just see what he's telling us," Terranova said. "He had those two bad races earlier in the year and he came back with a nice run in the True North. We looked specifically at this spot and we thought it would be perfect for him. It turned out to be good. He can stretch out with more distance, that leaves us with some options. He looks great this morning. We'll just see what looks good once we get back down to Belmont."

It was not until his 10th lifetime start when Stan the Man made his first trip to the winner's circle. After being up against some tough company in his prior starts, such as graded stakes winners Switzerland, Backyard Heaven and Copper Town as well as subsequent Grade 1 winner Preservationist, Stan the Man bested four others going a one-turn mile at Aqueduct in March 2018.

"I remember we ran in some tough maiden races. There were some nice horses to come out of those races. He was always chasing something good," Terranova recalled. "He's always been a quality horse and has run against nice horses from the start. He's happy, healthy and still wants to do it at age six. There are still spots for him to be successful."

Bred in Kentucky by Emma Quinn, Dermot Quinn, Scott Peirce and Debbie Pierce, Stan the Man is out of the graded stakes placed Harlan's Holiday mare Nite in Rome, who also produced stakes-placed Three Technique.

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Lucky Stride to make United States debut in Shuvee (G3) for Trombetta

Trainer Mike Trombetta is hopeful that Sonata Stables' Lucky Stride will replicate her positive form from Puerto Rico to the United States in next Sunday's Grade 3, $125,000 Shuvee for older fillies and mares on the main track.

A winner of eight races from 11 lifetime starts, the daughter of Declaration of War has never finished worse than second, with all of her races taking place at Camarero Racetrack in Puerto Rico.

A winner of last year's Grade 3 Clasico Roberto Clemente and a 10 ½-length winner of the Grade 2 Clasico Dia del Veterano, Lucky Stride will arrive at the Shuvee off a 5 ½-length allowance triumph on June 19.

Lucky Stride has been getting acclimated to the Saratoga main track, and worked five furlongs in a sharp 59.20 seconds on Sunday morning.

"She works really well over this track," Trombetta said. "It took a lot to get her here. She went from Puerto Rico, to Ocala, to Fair Hill to up here at Saratoga. She's doing well. We're hoping to see her form hold up in the United States, which is why she's here. The owner wanted to give her a chance on this side of the continent."

Trombetta also said that Win Win Win is possible for the Grade 1 Forego presented by America's Best Racing on August 29. The son of Hat Trick is scheduled to breeze on Sunday morning, which will be a deciding factor in whether or not he runs. Last Sunday, Win Win Win drilled through five-eighths in 58.80 seconds over the main track.

Owned by Charlotte Weber's Live Oak Plantation, Win Win Win was a late-closing second to Complexity in a one mile allowance over the Belmont Park main track last out on July 2. A stakes winner over both dirt and turf, Win Win Win would be targeting his first graded stakes victory in the Forego. 

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Crystalle working towards 3-year-old debut; Mr. Buff targets Empire Classic

P. G. Johnson winner Crystalle, owned by Tobey Morton and Chuck Hovitz, posted her second breeze on the Oklahoma training turf Friday, covering a half-mile solo in 48.88 for trainer John Kimmel.

"She had a great breeze this morning with a nice gallop out," said Kimmel. "She was pretty happy back in her stall afterwards and I'm very happy with her progress."

The dark bay daughter of Palace Malice crossed the wire first last August on debut at the Spa but was disqualified and placed third. After earning a stylish redemption to graduate at second asking in the 1 1/16-mile P.G. Johnson, Crystalle went on to finish second in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo on September 29 at Belmont ahead of an off-the-board effort in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita Park.

Kimmel said the talented filly's return has been delayed and she is not likely to make the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks Invitational at 1 ¼-miles, second leg of the filly Turf Triple series, slated for September 19 at Belmont.

"We were disappointed when we brought her back in March and she wasn't right," said Kimmel. "We didn't get to breeze her at Palm Meadows over the winter and the plan was to have her back in the spring. We gave her another 60 days off and now we're back on track.

"I don't think we'll make that [the Belmont Oaks], so we'll look for a non-winners of two," added Kimmel.

Chester and Mary Broman's New York-bred millionaire Mr. Buff will look to defend his title in the $175,000 Empire Classic, a nine-furlong test for New York-breds on October 24 at Belmont Park.

"He's still in training and doing well," said Kimmel. "Our main target will be the Empire Classic."

The Friend Or Foe chestnut boasts a record of 39-14-7-4 with purse earnings of $1,114,536.

The strapping chestnut wintered well at Aqueduct with scores in the Alex M. Robb, Jazil and Haynesfield before his training was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He returned off a four-month layoff to finish second in the one-turn mile Commentator on June 12 at Belmont and has subsequently posted fifth-place efforts in the Grade 2 Suburban on July 4 at Belmont and last out in the Grade 1 Whitney at Saratoga.

Tobey Morton's Famished worked a half-mile in 48.50 on the Oklahoma dirt training track Friday.

Kimmel said he is considering sending Famished to the $1 million Queen's Plate, first leg of the Canadian Triple Crown which is re-scheduled for September 12 at Woodbine Racetrack at 1 ¼-miles on the Tapeta.

"He went a half-mile in 48 and 2 and out in 1:01 and 3 and looked very good," said Kimmel. "We'll run him in an 'a other than' here next week and make a decision following that about whether to ship him to Toronto or not."

The sophomore bay son of Uncle Mo has split his time between turf and dirt, racing five times on the grass where he earned a career-best 82 Beyer when fifth on February 29 in the Grade 3 Palm Beach, a 1 1/16-mile turf tilt at Gulfstream Park.

Last out, the Ontario-bred colt earned a 75 Beyer when third in a seven-furlong allowance sprint on the Spa main track against older company.

"I think he might be a little more consistent on dirt," said Kimmel. "He just hasn't quickened as much as he's needed to on the grass and he kind of grinds it out instead of having a real turn of foot finish."

Tobey L. Morton and America's Pastime Stables' Leaky Cup, bred in New York by Kingsport Farm, earned a career-best 95 Beyer last out when taking a restricted six-furlong optional-claiming event on August 14 at Saratoga.

The 4-year-old Central Banker gelding was pulled up in the gallop out by rider Junior Alvarado and vanned off.

"Leaky Cup had a sesamoid fracture and had surgery for it last Monday," said Kimmel.

Kimmel said the hard-trying Leaky Cup, who sports a record of 16-5-2-4, will likely be retired.