Dacita Delivers Thrilling Finish in Diana S.

By: Claudia L. Ruiz

Turf races are known for stretch drives that are jam-packed with late charging runners bound to send the adrenaline levels of spectators through the roof. That is precisely what Chilean-bred Dacita gave Saratoga’s opening weekend crowd when she gobbled up ground on the stretch in the $500,000 Gr.1 Diana Stakes.

Coming off of a ¾ – length win in last month’s Gr.2 New York Stakes at Belmont Park, Dacita galloped to a thrilling victory against a ten-horse field that included the likes of Recepta, Reina de Bateria and Miss Temple City. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr., who piloted the five-year-old to her previous win, was in the irons once again and allowed the mare to settle as the earlier trailer, as far as ten lengths off the pace. Up front, Isabella Sings (with Paco Lopez in the irons) dictated the pace, posting an opening quarter time of 22.88, half-mile of 47.25 and six furlongs in 1:11.08 before losing position to Onus and Jose Ortiz. While Ortiz guided his mount through the mile (1:34.64), Dacita was swung six-wide running in sixth with a lot of ground to make up. But the mare pulled through in what has got be one of the most powerful runs of the weekend. Closing like a freight train under a right-handed whip, Dacita caught leader Recepta at the last minute to win by a nose and a time of 1:46.25 – 1.03 seconds off the track record.

A brush with Reina de Bateria, who – like the winner – is also trained by Chad Brown, resulted in a stewards inquiry that did not hold. “They were coming out a little and we had a little contact,” explained Ortiz of the contact with his stablemate. “My impression was that [Reina de Bateria and Julien Leparoux] came out more than anything.” The inquiry did not affect the order of finish.

Brown had four horses in the race. “Obviously two of them ran real well,” the trainer said. The other two, Wekeela (10th) and Mrs. McDougal (7th), did not fare as well. From here, Brown will be reassessing the strategy for the two that finished out of the money, but stated that all four will likely head in different directions.

Irad Ortiz Jr. had no complaints regarding the trip, saying, “I got the perfect trip while saving ground. She came from last and [went by] running at the end. She’s a nice filly.”

Dacita was bred by Haras Paso Nevado and is owned by Sheep Pond Partners and Bradley Thoroughbreds. Since debuting in January of 2014, she has 15 career starts: 9 wins, 2 seconds and 1 third, resulting in career earnings of $967,361. Saturday’s Diana Stakes marks the mare’s first Gr.1 win in the Northern Hemisphere and on U.S. soil.

Order of finish behind the winner: Recepta (John Velazquez), Reina de Bateria (Julien Leparoux), Miss Temple City (Drayden Van Dyke), Striker Charmer (Junior Alvarado), Onus (Jose Ortiz), Mrs. McDougal (Joel Rosario), Isabella Sings (Paco Lopez), Sandiva (Manuel Franco), Wekeela (Javier Castellano).

Dacita returned $10.20 for the win, $5.70 for place and $4.20 for show. The $2 trifecta and superfecta paid $1,217.00 and $7,871.00, respectively.