By Alan Carasso
Michael Dubb and Michael J. Caruso's Kathynmarissa (American Pharoah) came with an irresistible run in the final furlong to peg back stablemate Segesta (Ghostzapper) in Saturday's GI Dunkin' Diana Stakes at a soggy Saratoga, giving trainer Chad Brown a record-extending 11th victory in the nine-furlong contest, his ninth in the last 10 runnings and his fifth in succession. For good measure, Portfolio Duration (GB) (Night of Thunder {Ire}), who defeated Kathynmarissa into third when wiring the GI New York Stakes here on June 5, rounded out the trifecta.
“To have a one, two, three in this race, a race we have a lot of success in, in my area, I give a lot of credit to my team,” said Brown. “Four fillies in this race, three of them ran really well and it takes a lot of different tasks daily, executed perfectly to bring the horses into the Diana every year this way–and they do it.”
Juddmonte homebred dual Grade I winner Segesta had the most early speed for Dylan Davis and made the running in advance of Ozara (Ire) (Lope de Vega {Ire}), as Kathynmarissa, the 9-4 post-time favorite, settled near the tail of the field and outside of the fourth Brown distaffer, Dynamic Pricing (Ire) (Night of Thunder {Ire}).
Segesta enjoyed a very soft time of things from the front over a turf course rendered yielding by earlier rains and she got the opening half in :50.42 and three-quarters of a mile in 1:15.75. Still going powerfully turning for home, Segesta had a kick and looked for a stride or two to have stolen it, but Kathynmarissa followed the move of Portfolio Duration into the stretch, was pulled off that one's heels and stormed down the center of the course to take it by a measured half-length.
“When we hit the first turn, I noticed the pace backed up a lot,” Ortiz explained. “Five G (Vekoma) wasn't [near the pace], so I knew it was going to be a problem, but I was already committed to my position behind Manny [Franco, aboard Portfolio Duration].
“So, I stuck with it and just hoped for the best. She gave me a great turn of foot. Segesta got very good fractions early on and she was able to run on for second, but Kathynmarissa was very good today.”
Kathynmarissa raced solely for Dubb and was trained through the first 10 starts of her career by Richard Dutrow, Jr., winning the 2024 Dueling Grounds Oaks while finishing runner-up in the GI American Oaks and in the GII Saratoga Oaks that season.
Caruso was on board when the bay ran out an easy allowance winner in a single Saratoga appearance last August and she returned to defeat then-stablemate and GI Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf heroine Gezora (Fr) (Almanzor {Fr}) in the GIII Modesty Stakes at Churchill on May 1 ahead of her try in the New York.
Pedigree Notes:
Kathynmarissa is the 10th worldwide Grade I/Group 1 winner for American Pharoah and is the second out of a daughter of the Dynaformer stallion Milt's Overture. The other is Kathynmarissa's G1 Las Oaks-winning half-sister La Poetisa, who is by American Pharoah's paternal grandsire Empire Maker. The latter is the dam of Lorenzzo (Chi) (Mendelssohn), a three-time Group 2 winner for Haras Don Alberto.
La Dalila is also responsible for a juvenile colt from the first crop of Mandaloun and a full-brother to Kathynmarissa foaled Feb. 5.
KATHYNMARISSA wins the G1 Diana under @jose93_ortiz for trainer Chad Brown's record 11th career and 5th consecutive Diana victory! Brown finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd in this year's edition. pic.twitter.com/tZ5EytKbqH
— Equibase (@Equibase) July 18, 2026
Saturday, Saratoga
DUNKIN' DIANA S.-GI, $500,000, Saratoga, 7-18, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 1/8mT, 1:51.42, fm.
1–KATHYNMARISSA, 122, m, 5, by American Pharoah
1st Dam: La Dalila (Chi) (G1SW-Chi), by Milt's
Overture
2nd Dam: Top Diplomat (Chi), by Edgy Diplomat
3rd Dam: Top Shape, by Fit to Fight
1ST GRADE I WIN. ($200,000 Ylg '22 KEESEP). O-Michael J.
Caruso and Michael Dubb; B-Don Alberto Corporation (KY);
T-Chad C. Brown; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $275,000. Lifetime Record:
14-6-2-3, $1,940,745. *1/2 to La Poetisa (Empire Maker),
Ch. 3-year-old Filly-Chi, G1SW-Chi. Werk Nick Rating: A++.
Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free
Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Segesta, 124, m, 5, by Ghostzapper
1st Dam: Antonoe (GISW-USA, GSW-Fr, $565,377),
by First Defence
2nd Dam: Ixora, by Dynaformer
3rd Dam: Imroz, by Nureyev
O/B-Juddmonte (KY); T-Chad C. Brown. $100,000.
3–Portfolio Duration (GB), 124, f, 4, by Night of Thunder (Ire)
1st Dam: Shemya (Fr), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Shemima (GB), by Dalakhani (Ire)
3rd Dam: Shemaka (Ire), by Nishapour (Fr)
(185,000gns Wlg '22 TADEWE; 150,000gns Ylg '23 TATOCT).
O-Klaravich Stables, Inc.; B-Michael E Wates CBE (GB);
T-Chad C. Brown. $60,000.
Margins: HF, 2 1/4, 1 3/4. Odds: 2.29, 4.85, 2.89.
Also Ran: Cathedral (GB), Dynamic Pricing (Ire), Ozara (Ire), Five G.
Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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