Dacita doing good following Diana score; Flintshire, Lady Eli work

Edited Press Release

Dacita, who rallied relentlessly on the far outside to win Saturday's Diana Stakes (G1) at Saratoga in a thrilling blanket finish, came out of the race well, as did Chad Brown's three other runners – third-place finisher Rainha da Bateria, seventh-placer Mrs McDougal and 10th-placer Wekeela.

"Everyone looks alright," said Brown, who notched his first career Grade 1 win with Zagora in the 2011 Diana.

Dacita handed eventual Breeders’ Mile (G1) champion Tepin one of only two losses last year when scoring by a head in the Ballston Spa Stakes (G2) at Saratoga last year.

"I want to just give her the week to evaluate her," said Brown. "She really ran a hard race yesterday so we'll see what we want to do next. It's unclear."

At 28-1, Rainha da Bateria was beaten a head as the second-longest shot in the field of 10 fillies and mares.

"She had been training really well," said Brown. "Julien (Leparoux) gave her a nice, patient ride, got unlucky there late in between horses but she ran her race. I know her odds were long, but I'm not going to run here just to run at Saratoga. I thought I didn't place her well last time in the Just a Game (Stakes [G1]); she really wants two turns and longer, and she showed it (Saturday). She ran great."

Brown will take aim at two more upcoming grass stakes for fillies and mares with Grade/Group 2 heroine Sea Calisi and Grade 1 queen Ball Dancing, who worked five furlongs together in 1:00.20 on Saratoga’s fast Oklahoma turf course shortly before 10 a.m. (ET) Sunday.

Sea Calisi is bound for the $700,000 Beverly D. Stakes (G1) at Arlington on August 13, while Ball Dancing is targeting the $200,000 Waya Stakes (G3) at Saratoga on Whitney Day, August 6.

Brown also reported that Grade 1 winner Angela Renee will miss next Sunday's Shuvee Stakes (G3) after getting sick.

Brown said decisions regarding the placement of three-year-olds Connect and Gift Box for Friday's Curlin Stakes and Saturday's Jim Dandy Stakes (G2) will likely be made after he speaks to their owners Sunday afternoon.

At Belmont Park, both Flintshire and Lady Eli breezed five furlongs on the firm turf in preparation for a trip north on Monday for Brown.

Flintshire, winner of the Manhattan Stakes (G1) on June 11, went in 1:01 for Saturday's $250,000 Bowling Green Stakes (G2) while Lady Eli, who has not run since winning the Belmont Oaks (G1) last July, was timed in 1:00 3/5.

Cherie DeVaux, Brown's Belmont Park assistant, said by telephone both "went really well."

Dacita photo courtesy of NYRA/Adam Coglianese Photography