Countess Diana Is a Royal Filly

The Juvenile Fillies, the first Breeders’ Cup race Saturday, produced the biggest winning margin when Countess Diana sped to an 8 1/2-length victory.

Ridden by Shane Sellers, Countess Diana paid $6 and ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:42, breaking the Breeders’ Cup record of 1:42 2/5, set by My Flag at Belmont Park in 1995.

Countess Diana, who has won five of six starts, might have been undefeated like her stablemate, Juvenile winner Favorite Trick, if she hadn’t thrown a shoe in losing the Debutant by half a length at Churchill Downs in her second race.

Career Collection finished second, four lengths ahead of Primaly, and Love Lock, the only horse to have beaten Countess Diana, ran ninth.

Countess Diana ran for the first time with a shadow roll, a big layer of sheep’s wool across her nose. In winning the Alcibiades at Keeneland in her last start, she had been distracted at the top of the stretch, probably when she spotted the starting gate, which had been removed from the track.

Owner Rick Kaster was asked if he might consider running Countess Diana against colts next year.

“I don’t believe in running fillies against colts,” he said. “We’ll see where we can get [with her]. We’ll start her out by running against fillies.”

Countess Diana ran her first race at Pimlico for Carlos Garcia, who also trains for Kaster.

“I send him the slow horses and he sends me the fast ones,” trainer Patrick Byrne joked.

Countess Diana was second, behind Bay Harbor, before taking the lead Saturday as the field approached the far turn.

“After that, nobody pressed her,” Sellers said. “If you leave this filly alone, that makes her tough to catch.”

Bay Harbor finished last in the 14-horse field.

Career Collection, ridden by Corey Nakatani, moved from fourth place to second on the final turn but never threatened the winner.

“I think coming back from a race just two weeks ago was a problem,” Nakatani said. “Normally, she’s going to have a big kick and put in a big run. The other filly had things her own way. I thought that my filly might explode at the quarter pole.”

Mike Smith rode Primaly, who was making her first start outside Canada.

“She ran great,” Smith said. “You’re going to hear a lot from her. I had a good trip, except I got shuffled back a bit more than I liked.”

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

PAST WINNERS

*--*

Year Horse Jockey Margin Payoff 1984 Outstandingly W. Guerra Winner DQd $47.60 1985 Twilight Ridge J. Velasquez 1 length $3.20 1986 Brave Raj P. Valenzuela 5 1/2 lengths $10.00 1987 Epitome P. Day Nose $62.80 1988 Open Mind A. Cordero 1 3/4 lengths $3.40 1989 Go For Wand R. Romero 2 3/4 lengths $7.00 1990 Meadow Star J. Santos 5 lengths $2.40 1991 Pleasant Stage E. Delahoussaye Head $13.60 1992 Eliza P. Valenzuela 1 length $4.40 1993 Phone Chatter L. Pincay Head $6.60 1994 Flanders P. Day Head $2.80 1995 My Flag J. Bailey 1/2 length $9.00 1996 Storm Song C. Perret 4 1/2 lengths $5.20 1997 Countess Diana S. Sellers 8 1/2 lengths $6.00

*--*