'Brown' Out Possible in Diana

If there's a graded turf race in New York these days, there's generally a good chance for Chad Brown to run one-two or even one-two-three. The Eclipse Award winning conditioner only has two in Saturday's GI Diana S. at Saratoga, so he'll have to settle for the exacta. Brown boasts a strong one-two punch with resilient superstar Lady Eli (Divine Park), who most recently returned to winning ways in Santa Anita's GI Gamely S. May 27; and Antonoe (First Defence), who dropped jaws with an incredible late flourish to get up in Belmont's GI Just a Game S. June 10. The latter, a Juddmonte colorbearer, is now two-for-two on U.S. soil, having already annexed a Group 3 in France in 2015 for Pascal Bary.

“She's training super and has had adequate time between races after a long ship back from the Gamely and we're looking forward to running her again, especially at Saratoga where she broke her maiden and made her comeback last year,” Brown, who took the Diana previously in 2011 and last year, said of Lady Eli to the NYRA press team. “In the Gamely, she adapted to a slow pace and overcame it. It looks like there might be a slow pace in here as well. We're confident she can place herself where we need her. She likes the track here and the Diana is a special race for our team.”

Antonoe may also be somewhat pace compromised, but she galloped out in the one-mile GI Just a Game S. like added ground would be of no concern. “She was sent to me in really good shape; I'm not going to claim we did anything magical with her, but we put her in our program and she's responded,” Brown said. “She's a top-class horse. I was more concerned with the cutback [from 8 1/2 furlongs to a mile] in the Just a Game than to this. A mile-and-an-eighth is fine for her.”

Dickinson (Medaglia d'Oro) completed a three-race graded win streak when besting Lady Eli by a head in Keeneland's GI Jenny Wiley S. Apr. 15. She was third by less than a length in the Just a Game. Quidura (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), who took last year's GIII Valley View S. at Keeneland, was third in the Jenny Wiley and second in the paceless GII New York S. going 10 furlongs at Belmont June 9.