'Oops' Partnership No Mistake

The first half of Saturday's card at Gulfstream Park featured a number of talented 2-year-olds on display, including Diamond Oops (Lookin At Lucky), who notched his third victory from four starts in the six-furlong Buffalo Man S. While trainer Patrick Biancone said the win itself was gratifying, it was made more special by the fact his long-time friend and prominent owner Martin Schwartz joined him in a partnership on the colt back in July.

“After he won the [July 1 Kiss a Native S.], Martin Schwartz– like every owner–wanted a horse who might have a chance to go to the Derby,” Biancone said, speaking from South Florida Wednesday. “So he decided to buy a piece to be involved–he's an old friend of mine. We're very happy to be partners with him.”

Schwartz and Biancone paired to campaign the likes of Grade I winners Gorella (Fr) (Grape Tree Road {GB}) and Asi Siempre (El Prado {Ire}). More recently, they also teamed up as co-owners to send out Arkansas-bred Razorback Lady (Overdriven), a $54,000 OBS June 2-year-old purchase, to run second in the House Party S. on Saturday's card. The partnership on Diamond Oops is unique, however, in that it also includes breeder Kin Hui of Diamond 100 Racing, as well as accomplished 2-year-old consignor Ciaran Dunne, who handled the colt prior to his time with Biancone.

“Ciaran Dunne told me the horse was special–and he was right,” Biancone said. “The horse immediately showed his best and we're having fun with him. He has a chance to be a very good horse.”

After breaking his maiden by a half-length in his five-furlong debut at Gulfstream June 1, Diamond Oops added a convincing score as the prohibitive favorite in the 5 1/2-furlong Kiss a Native one month later. With Schwartz joining the partnership from there, the bay shipped north and reported home an unlucky sixth in the GII Saratoga Special S. Aug. 13. Although the disappointing result provided a sharp reality check for Biancone and company, the trainer said it can be chalked up to a young horse encountering unfamiliar stimuli for the first time.

“We were very hot on him when he got his first two races and we got a very cold shower when we brought him to Saratoga,” Biancone said with a laugh. “He stumbled out of the gate. Sometimes when you change certain things with young horses, and you ask them to travel and see the crowd in Saratoga, it gets them anxious…Fortunately he did not hurt himself. Sometimes they forget what we try to teach them.”

Biancone observed that Diamond Oops likely needed more time to grow into his sizable frame, and as such, the partners elected to give the colt a freshening and bring him back for a winter campaign at Gulfstream.

Biancone trained Diamond Oops' dam, Patriotic Viva, as well as his damsire, Whywhywhy. The former was a stakes winner around two turns, while the latter captured the GI Futurity S. over a mile. According to Biancone, his experience with the family leads him to believe that a plan to gradually stretch out to longer distances makes sense.

“[Patriotic Viva] was more effective going short, but she did win a two-turn stakes going a mile,” Biancone recalled. “I had a choice to run [Diamond Oops] in a mile or going three-quarters [last weekend], and I decided to sprint because he was very fresh. He jumped the gate and was keen to go. We'll go step by step and next time we'll go to the [Feb. 3 GII] Swale S. going seven furlongs. We don't want to overload him. With that family, the older they get, the better they are.”