11.14 Dunkin’ Diana Stakes (Grade 1) 1m 1f
A QUALITY field of six line up in tonight’s Grade 1 and only one European challenger is brave enough to take up the challenge – that being the Simon and Ed Crisford-trained Choisya.
The Night Of Thunder mare won her first three races of the season, culminating in the Keeneland’s Grade 1 Jenny Wiley Stakes in April, before finishing only seventh in the Grade 1 Just A Game Stakes here in June, where Domestic Pricing got up late to win from Excellent Truth, both also in the line up here.
Four of the six are by Irish-based sires and a second runner for Night Of Thunder is the Chad Brown-trained/Klaravich Stables-owned Irish-bred Domestic Pricing.
She has won her last two over shorter, including that Grade 1 Just A Game here and has strong prospects.
Cherie DeVaux’s She Feels Pretty is the short-priced favourite but this is Saratoga and we saw similar horses beaten at the graveyard of favourites last week.
She has won her last four outings, three of them in Grade 1s, including the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes at Keeneland last October. With rain forecast, softening turf could be one concern
Irish-bred Be Your Best is also a Grade 1 winner, the Muhaarar mare winning the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita by over two lengths from Lady Claypoole for Saffie Joseph. She had been well beaten in the Jenny Wiley Stakes.
SELECTION: Domestic Pricing
Next best: She Feels Pretty
Far Bridge is favourite to give trainer Miguel Clement another big graded winner since the passing of his father Christophe, in the Grade 2 Bowling Green Handicap.
A Grade 1 winner at three, he picked up two more top level contests last season in the Joe Hirsch Turf Classic Stakes at Aqueduct and the Sword Dancer Stakes at Saratoga.
His three runs this term have seen a third here in the Grade 1 Resorts World Casino Manhattan Stakes last time following a win in the Grade 2 Man o’ War Stakes at Aqueduct and Gulfstream Park’s Pan American Stakes in March.
The Manhattan was over a distance shorter than his best and, back up to 11 furlongs, he should be best here.
His chief danger seems to be the Mark Casse-trained Webslinger, who with just one win from his last 10 outings, needs to step up. He has Grade 1 placings in the Old Forester Bourbon Turf Classic Stakes, Hollywood and Saratoga Derbys last season. His one run this season was in a second in a Woodbine Grade 2.
Casse also runs Corruption, fourth in the Manhattan, half a length behind Far Bridge.