By Joe Bianca
Empyrean Stables' Diadura (Hard Spun) leads a muddled field of 14 in the GI Darley Alcibiades, the traditional opening day feature at Keeneland, and will try to punch her ticket to the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies in her first try both over dirt and around two turns.
Overcoming traffic trouble to capture her debut as the favorite Aug. 5 at Arlington, the $50,000 OBS August yearling buy was ultra impressive in annexing the Arlington-Washington Lassie S. there Sept. 10. Off near the tail of the bulky field, Diadura was pinballed between horses while advancing at the quarter pole, but still persevered through and quickly turned the race into a laugher, coasting home 5 1/2 lengths to the good to earn 'TDN Rising Star' status. The dark bay shows a pair of bullet works in the interim for trainer Mike Stidham, including a best-of-13 five-furlong local breeze in 1:00 3/5 Sept. 30.
The race's most accomplished filly is marooned in the far outside stall and will likely have to overcome a wide journey to earn her second graded stakes score. Normandy Farm's Daddys Lil Darling (Scat Daddy) stepped up off a blowout maiden win July 29 at Ellis to earn a narrow triumph in the muddy GII Pocahontas S. Sept. 17 at Churchill, punching her ticket to the Juvenile Fillies. Trainer Ken McPeek initially said after that victory he would likely train his filly up to the Breeders' Cup, but decides to run her back 20 days later instead.
Queen Bernardina (Bernardini) will try to back up a 20-1 upset in breaking her maiden Sept. 16 at Churchill, an effort for which she earned a 75 Beyer, second-highest in the field behind Diadura's Arlington-Washington Lassie romp. Fun (Harlan's Holiday) finished second at 22-1 in Saratoga's GIII Schuylerville S. July 22 and will try to rebound from a fourth-place showing in that track's GI Spinaway S. Sept. 3.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
