Racing Roundtable: Whitebeam's Diana win, Colonial's opening weekend, and more

This week, the Racing Roundtable weighs in on Whitebeam's repeat win in the Diana (G1), Colonial Downs' opening weekend, and what they are looking forward to at Saratoga and Monmouth on Saturday.

What are your thoughts on Whitebeam's win in the Diana?

James Scully: For the first time in eight U.S. starts, Whitebeam dictated the pace in Saturday’s Diana (G1), and I think that’s the best strategy for the five-year-old mare. She loves Saratoga’s turf and had everything her own way winning the Diana for the second straight year, but I think the key to her career-best performance (easily the top-rated turf performance of the weekend from a Brisnet Speed and Class perspective) was early speed. The Chad Brown-trained mare had to deal with former stablemate and speedball In Italian last year, and Flavien Prat didn’t appear to want the lead as Whitebeam pressed the pace in second in her first two outings in 2024. She changed tactics Saturday, and I expect to see Whitebeam ridden more aggressively in the opening stages following the convincing win. She’s now part of the discussion for leading honors in a filly and mare turf division lacking a standout. 

Ashley Anderson: Whitebeam became the ninth filly or mare to accomplish multiple victories in the Diana, while Chad Brown fortified his stronghold on the event, securing his third straight Diana win and a record ninth overall. Dating back to 2016, he has lost just one edition, in 2021, when Charlie Appleby won with Althiqa.

Whitebeam, a five-year-old by Caravaggio, has been a consistent runner for Brown but had not reached the winner's circle since last year's Diana, six starts back. As the controlling speed, she set moderate fractions and held on to win by three-quarters of a length over Moira, who was making her first start since placing in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) last November. With a final time of 1:48.14, Whitebeam beat nine rivals, including four stablemates, and earned a career-best 99 Brisnet Speed figure. Prior to Saturday, Brown's Chili Flag — the 4.20 second choice at post time — had built a three-win streak in graded stakes but finished ninth in Saratoga's Saturday feature. She's currently in the mix for top turf female but with Whitebeam's win in the Diana, Brown has another player in the division who appears to be improving with each start in 2024.

What were your takeaways from opening weekend at Colonial?

JS: I liked Nadette’s win in the Beverly D. Preview S. better than Integration’s win in the Million Preview S. It was fair to call Nadette an underachiever after the Irish stakes winner lost her first nine U.S. starts, but the five-year-old mare broke through with a convincing win in April’s Wilshire (G3) at Santa Anita and delivered a strong turn of foot in the Beverly D. Preview two starts later, closing last to first on the far turn to take a clear lead into the stretch. She went on to win smartly by about five lengths, and Nadette appears to be discovering her best form for Neil Drysdale.

Integration faced only two rivals at 1-10 odds in the Million Preview and didn’t appear to change leads cleanly after straightening for home, coming under a brief ride before finally striking the front and drawing clear. There’s no rhyme or reason for it, but Integration did not keep progressing this season after recording fine wins in his first two stakes appearances, September’s Virginia Derby (G3) and November’s Hill Prince (G2). And it’s difficult to imagine him playing a major role in the Million (G1) next month following Saturday’s performance.

AA:  Most of the winners of the maiden special weight races on Saturday at Colonial left no suspense with their victories, as they prevailed by open lengths. One filly, in particular, who looked dominant on debut was Bella Cleopatra, a two-year-old who romped to a 6 1/2-length triumph in a 5 1/2-furlong sprint on the main track. The Florida-bred earned freshman sire Vekoma his 11th winner in the process, and the Spendthrift stud now ranks second in number of winners (11) and total progeny earnings ($510,336) among all first-crop sires. Bella Cleopatra is the first foal out of her dam Bella Alicita, a daughter of Bellamy Road who also has a yearling by Spendthrift stallion Rock Your World. Vekoma has another two-year-old filly, Suzies Pride, set to make her debut at Colonial on Friday in a maiden claimer, and No Evidence, a first-time starter trained by Christophe Clement, will be unveiled in a $100,000 maiden special weight at Saratoga on the same day.

What else caught your eye?

JS: I’ll focus on some two-year-olds.

Dallas Stewart likes to try to win a maiden race at Saratoga, sending out Classy John to a six-length debut score on the 2018 Travers undercard at 12-1 and winning with Big Scully in 2021, and he unveiled his best early prospect last Saturday, Tough Catch. The gray son of top freshman sire Complexity broke on top from the innermost post and was never seriously challenged the rest of the way, scoring by about a length in the salty 5 1/2-furlong maiden special weight at 6.50-1, and Tough Catch’s 90 Brisnet Speed rating was the best figure earned by a two-year-old last week.

Runner-up to Sherbini in her June 16 debut at Churchill Downs, Strong State came back to record an impressive maiden win Thursday, edging promising first-time starter Will Not Be Swayed by a neck, and it was a 14-length gap to third in the nine-horse field. From the first crop of Tom’s d’Etat, the Al Stall Jr.-trained filly registered an 87 Speed rating. Dare to Breeze, who was third behind Strong State first time out, came back to win Sunday’s opener by 6 1/4 lengths at odds-on and registered an 84 Speed rating. Sherbini missed the break in Thursday’s Schuylerville (G3) but closed well to be a clear second after running last early.

A debut winner at Keeneland, The Queens M G rebounded stylishly after faltering as the favorite in the June 6 Astoria S., rolling to a 2 3/4-length victory in the Schuylerville at 44-1, but her 84 Speed figure came back a little light. And New York-bred Mo Plex improved to 2-for-2 by leading all the way in Saturday’s Sanford (G3), becoming the first stakes winner for Complexity, who already has 12 winners from his first crop. Mo Plex received an 86 Speed rating.

AA: Two-year-old Mo Plex is now 2-for-2 after taking the Sanford S. (G3) at Saratoga on Saturday, and the achievement handed rider Irad Ortiz Jr. his fifth win in the juvenile stakes race, putting him two victories behind the record-holder, John Velazquez. Mo Plex may have been helped some by the scratch of Todd Pletcher trainee Mentee, a full-brother to Fierceness who was installed as the 6-5 morning line favorite, but the R and H Stable color bearer was impressive nonetheless. A 10-length winner on debut in a state-restricted maiden special weight at Belmont at the Big A, the Complexity two-year-old went gate to wire in the Sanford, beating six rivals in his stakes debut. The conquest also gave sire Complexity his first stakes winner and pushed the stallion to the top of the first-crop sire rankings for number of winners (12) and overall earnings ($648,991). A son of Maclean's Music, Complexity raced from age two to four and claimed the Kelso (G2) in addition to the seven-furlong Champagne (G1). Trainer Jeremiah Englehart said Mo Plex may next target the seven-furlong Hopeful (G1) at the Spa on Sept. 2.

What are you most looking forward to seeing at Monmouth and/or Saratoga this weekend?

JS: Fierceness will make his first appearance since finishing 15th as the Kentucky Derby (G1) favorite in Saturday’s Haskell (G1), and I expect him to show speed. The two-year-old male champion has faltered in both starts this year when facing pressure and the best way to alleviate those concerns is by getting clear early, but he hasn’t made the expected progress this season and I will take on Fierceness at short odds.

Mindframe looks set for a strong showing. After opening his career with smashing wins in a seven-furlong maiden and 1 1/16-mile entry-level allowance this spring, Mindframe jumped to stakes competition with a top-class effort in the 1 1/4-mile Belmont (G1), missing by a half-length in second. The Constitution colt gained plenty of seasoning from the experience and I expect him to show more Saturday while cutting back to a 1 1/8-mile distance he’ll relish.

Thorpedo Anna will face four rivals in Saturday’s Coaching Club American Oaks (G1). The margin of victory has been her gauge this season, with no rivals being within four lengths of her in three outings, and I expect another dominant performance that sets her up for a Travers (G1) bid.

AA: Kentucky Oaks (G1) heroine Thorpedo Anna, the top three-year-old female at the moment, will look to extend her win streak to four when she competes in the Coaching Club American Oaks (G1) on Saturday at Saratoga. The Fast Anna filly is 5-for-6 for her career, with her lone loss a runner-up in the Golden Rod (G2) last November. The Kenny McPeek trainee has been on a tear since, with a four-length victory in the Fantasy (G2) in March, before her 4 3/4-length triumph in the Oaks. Most recently, she rolled to a 5 1/2-length win in the Acorn (G1) and earned a career-best 101 BRIS figure in the Saratoga fixture. Thorpedo Anna will face just four rivals in the CCA Oaks, including the filly who beat her in the Golden Rod, Intricate, plus Acorn runner-up Leslie's Rose, Alcibiades (G1) winner Candied, and recent allowance scorer Barbratina. Thorpedo Anna will be tough to beat on Saturday and will likely go gate to wire over a field lacking early speed.

With McPeek recently announcing that Mystik Dan will ship back to Keeneland for training and will likely skip the Travers (G1), a presiding win in the CCA Oaks by Thorpedo Anna could entice McPeek to enter the filly in the 1 1/4-mile Midsummer Derby. Fillies won three of the first five runnings of the Travers but have not won since 1915. However, Thorpedo Anna is a special horse and with the three-year-old division lacking true consistency, she has every chance to upset the boys in the storied event.