Chilean Bloodlines via La Dalila Shone at Saratoga Through Kathynmarissa

The mare captured the Diana Stakes (G1), delivering a eleventh victory in the race for trainer Chad Brown

SARATOGA SPRINGS, New York (Special to Turf Diario).- Some races seem to belong to a single name, and for years now, the Diana Stakes (G1) has been the exclusive domain of Chad Brown. The trainer reasserted his extraordinary dominance in one of Saratoga's premier turf events for fillies and mares on Saturday, capturing his eleventh victory in the $500,000 contest while leading home a stunning 1-2-3 sweep with Kathynmarissa (American Pharoah), Segesta (Ghostzapper), and Portfolio Duration (Night of Thunder).

Yet the triumph carried a distinct South American accent as well. The winner is none other than a daughter of the Chilean champion La Dalila (Milt's Overture), a G1 winner in her home country who was bred by Haras Don Alberto—the birthplace of countless figures in continental racing. In doing so, the historic nursery added another reason for pride as a descendant of one of its finest mares scored at the highest level in North America.

Carrying the colors of Michael Caruso and Michael Dubb, Kathynmarissa secured the first top-level victory of her career behind a patiently timed ride from José Ortiz. As her stablemate Segesta dictated a moderate pace over a rain-softened turf course, the eventual winner bided her time near the tail of the field before unleashing a powerful rally around the final turn.

Entering the stretch, Segesta seemed in full control after navigating the mile in 1m39s70/100, but Kathynmarissaproduced a remarkable turn of foot down the center of the course, eroding the lead stride by stride to prevail in the closing yards by half a length in 1m51s42/100 for the 1800 meters. Portfolio Duration completed the 1-2-3 finish for the Brown barn.

"To sweep the top three spots in a race like this speaks to the tremendous work of my entire team," noted Brown, who just minutes later would also capture the Matchmaker Stakes (G3) at Monmouth Park with Grayosh. "It takes so many people doing their job perfectly every single day to arrive at the Diana like this," the trainer added.

With this latest conquest, Brown extended a stats record that is simply extraordinary. Since 2011, he has won the Diana with Zagora (Green Tune), the Chilean-bred Dacita (Scat Daddy), Lady Eli (Divine Park), Sistercharlie(Myboycharlie)—twice—Rushing Fall (More Than Ready), In Italian (Dubawi), Whitebeam (Caravaggio)—also a back-to-back winner—Excellent Truth (Cotai Glory), and now Kathynmarissa, cementing an unprecedented reign in one of the most traditional events of the Saratoga meeting.

For his part, Ortiz secured his first Diana victory and admitted that the race development caused some anxious moments when he realized the pace set by Segesta had slowed significantly: "When we went into the first turn, I saw the pace had backed up a lot. I knew that could make things tricky for us, but I was already committed to my position. Luckily, when I asked my mare, she responded with a fantastic turn of foot," commented the Puerto Rican rider.

Far from lamenting the afternoon rainfall, Brown confessed that he actually welcomed the yielding ground.

"When there's some give in the ground, my horses get better traction and finish strong. It's the way we train these turf horses, and it really played to their favor," he explained.

A $200,000 purchase at the 2022 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, Kathynmarissa was coming off a third-place finish in the New York Stakes (G1) after having made a victorious seasonal debut in the Modesty Stakes (G3) at Churchill Downs. Previously conditioned by Rick Dutrow Jr., her move to the Brown barn signaled a major step forward that has now culminated in her first G1 triumph.

The daughter of American Pharoah and La Dalila significantly boosted her career bankroll while proving that the Chilean maternal foundation established by Haras Don Alberto continues to leave its mark on international racing's biggest stages. Meanwhile, Brown continues to build an inventory of Diana victories that, given his year-after-year dominance of the event, already looks nearly impossible to match.

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