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Whitebeam, Chad Brown, Flavien Prat defend their title in G1 Diana

by Christian Abdo

Juddmonte’s British homebred Whitebeam went wire-to-wire to successfully defend her title in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Diana, a nine-furlong inner turf test for older fillies and mares, at Saratoga Race Course.

Trained by four time Eclipse Award winner Chad Brown, Whitebeam earned her second consecutive victory in the event with Flavien Prat up, extending her conditioner’s record to nine Diana triumphs.

The Mechanicville, N.Y.-native has now won eight of the last nine editions, building upon past success with Dacita [2016], Lady Eli [2017], Sistercharlie [2018-19], Rushing Fall [2020] and In Italian [2022]. He also won in 2011 with Zagora.

"It's remarkable the horses and the clients I've had through the years, to send me and my team these horses. It's nine Dianas and there are several team members that were there for the first Diana and they've been here with all of them,” Brown said. “That's the consistency of the program, really.”

Piloted by Prat, who engineered a stalking score in last year’s running, the 5-year-old Caravaggio gray broke alertly from post 6 as last-out Grade 1 New York winner Didia went to the front early from post 4. Whitebeam would not let the dual hemisphere Grade 1-winner Didia dictate the terms under Jose Ortiz, taking command to lead the field through an opening quarter-mile in 24.26 seconds over the firm going.

“It felt like I was kind of the lone speed,” Prat explained. “Obviously she put me right into the race, and it felt like she was very happy on the front end and responded very well when I asked her to make a move.”

Whitebeam continued to lead by one length in the first turn, with multiple graded stakes winner Evvie Jets vying for second position over Didia to her inside, as a tight bunch of Gina Romantica, Moira and Neecie Marie, kept close watch as the half-mile elapsed in 49.49.

In the far turn, Prat was motionless aboard Whitebeam as she traveled 1 1/2 lengths ahead of Evvie Jets, who was asked by Dylan Davis to pick it up from the two-path while Didia searched for a way out from the rail. Meanwhile, Gina Romantica and Moira geared up for wider runs after three-quarters in 1:13.76.

At the stretch call, Manny Franco was all-out aboard Gina Romantica who presented the nearest danger to the early pacesetter with Tyler Gaffalione asking 2022 Canadian Horse of the Year Moira for her best down the center of the course.

After one-mile in 1:36.70, Prat gave Whitebeam her cue and she kicked on with plenty in reserve. She turned away a slew of closers to win by three-quarters of a length over the oncoming Moira in a final time of 1:48.14.

Whitebeam became the eighth horse to win back-to-back Dianas, which was run at nine-furlongs on the main track from its inaugural running in 1939 until 1973, joining Miss Grillo [1946-47], Tempted [1959-60], Shuvee [1970-71], Hush Dear [1982-83], Glowing Honor [1988-89], Forever Together [2008-09], and the Brown-trained Sistercharlie [2018-19].

Gina Romantica was a nose back in third, with a half-length back to Didia rounding out the superfecta. Coppice, Mission of Joy, Evvie Jets, Fluffy Socks, Chili Flag and Neecie Marie completed the order. Main track-only Venti Valentine was scratched.

Brown also saddled third-place Gina Romantica, fifth-place Coppice, eighth-place Fluffy Socks, and ninth-place Chili Flag. He said it wasn’t a surprise to see Whitebeam on the lead, but it was a bit surprising to see just how much she was able to slow down the tempo.

"I didn't think she would have trouble getting to the lead but half way through the race I was surprised how slow they were going. I had mixed feelings about it,” said Brown. “Of course, for Whitebeam it was going great. I had some closers in the race as well. I sort of had to put all my chips on Whitebeam from the half-mile pole on because it would be nearly impossible for either her or Didia [not] to win at that point.”

Brown said he was unsure of a next start for Whitebeam, who last year went on to run fourth in the Grade 1 First Lady in October at Keeneland, but to expect to see some of his contenders in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2, $300,000 Ballston Spa on August 22 here.

"I want to see how they all come out, but definitely some horses out of this five will end up in the Ballston Spa. It’s a race I love to participate in. It's hard to take a horse out of a winning Grade 1 race and drop them out of a Grade 1,” Brown reasoned.

Prat said he was proud to see a nice rebound off a half-length defeat to Chili Flag in the one-mile Grade 1 Just a Game here on June 7. That rival did not show her usual closing kick today after traveling ninth throughout.

“Very proud of her effort today. Everything went well the first part of the race and when I squeezed her, she was there for me,” Prat said. “Nothing more you can ask for. She is one of the best mares in the country and it was great.”

Gaffalione said it was a game runner-up finish from the Kevin Attard-trained Moira, who was making her first effort since a third in the 10-furlong Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Santa Anita Park.

“I was so impressed with her; she is a pleasure to be around - a very classy filly,” Gaffalione said. “She fired big for us, especially considering the slow pace. She really laid it down. I thought it was a huge effort off the eight-month layoff.”

Attard was in agreement with his jockey, who won the first two races on today’s program, including the Grade 3 Kelso aboard the Brown-trained Carl Spackler.

“I thought she showed she belonged and obviously after a little bit of a layoff she should move forward off of this race,” Attard said. “Hopefully next time we have an honest pace in front of us.”

Live racing resumes Sunday at Saratoga with a 10-race card, featuring the Grade 3, $175,000 Quick Call presented by the Thoroughbred Retirement Foundation in Race 9. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.

Saratoga Live will present live coverage and analysis of the Saratoga Race Course summer meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/saratoga/racing/tv-schedule/.

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