Weekend racing provides glimpse of epic turf battles to come this season

July 15 (UPI) -- Saratoga's first full weekend served as a springboard for several horses pointing toward even bigger goals during the second half of the season and into the Breeders' Cup turf events in November.

Among the big winners, Whitebeam captured the Grade I Diana Stakes for the second straight year and Godolphin filly Star of Mystery got her first U.S. victory. Whitebeam's trainer, Chad Brown , also saddled the winner of the Kelso Stakes for turf milers.

Colonial Downs hosted preview races for its "Million Weekend" later in the season and there were turf sprints here, there and seemingly everywhere.

Wondering where Del Mar is? Patience. Opening Day is Saturday.

Filly & Mare Turf

Whitebeam, one of five in the race for trainer Chad Brown, defended her crown in Saturday's $500,000 Grade I Diana at Saratoga, leading all the way to a 3/4-length victory.

Canadian invader Moira was second, a nose in front of Gina Romantica. The favorite, Didia, finished fourth.

Whitebeam, a 5-year-old Juddmonte homebred mare by Caravaggio, slowed things down to a crawl through the early furlongs, and then finished 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:48.14 under Flavien Prat .

She had not won since last year's Diana, but was second in the Grade III Beaugay and the Grade I Just a Game in her last two starts.

Brown said some of his also-rans might return for the $300,000 Grade II Ballston Spa Aug. 22 but said he looks askance at dropping a Grade I winner back to a Grade II race. Looking forward, he added, the 1 3/8-miles Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf might be an option for Whitebeam.

Nadette made the cross-country trip from Santa Anita worthwhile with a last-to-first victory in Saturday's $125,000 Beverly D. Preview at Colonial Downs.

With Hector Berrios up for trainer Neil Drysdale , the 5-year-old, French-bred mare went to the post as the heavy, odds-on favorite and won going away, by 4 3/4 lengths. The win was her second from her last three starts.

Turf

Maybe it was the imposing, odds-on favorite, the soft turf or a combination, but Saturday's $125,000 Million Preview at Colonial Downs scratched down to just three starters with that imposing favorite, Integration, prevailing easily.

The 4-year-old Quality Road colt dawdled in third until asked by jockey Kendrick Carmouche, then quickly drew off to win by 6 1/2 lengths. Integration, trained by Shug McGaughey, got his first win of 2024 and now is 3-for-3 at Colonial Downs. The Arlington Million is Aug. 10.

Saturday's $125,000 Boston Stakes for 3-year-olds at Colonial, a prep for the $500,000 Grade II Secretariat Stakes on Million Day, went to favorite Fulmineo. The favorite rallied from well back in the field of seven and won by 1/2 length with Victor Carrasco up for trainer Arnaud Delacour.

At Laurel Park, Forever Souper led all the way to a 4 3/4-lengths victory as the odds-on favorite in Sunday's $100,000 Prince George's County Stakes.

The 5-year-old American Pharoah gelding, trained by Michael Trombetta , was never threatened and easily held off Highland Chief in the final furlong while finishing 1 1/8 miles on firm turf in 1:47.27 for jockey Mychel Sanchez.

Turf Mile

Carl Spackler, another from Chad Brown's bottomless well of turf talent, pressed the pace in Saturday's $175,000 Kelso at Saratoga, got the lead with a furlong and a half left and won by 1/2 length. Pacesetter Talk of the Nation held second.

Carl Spackler, a 4-year-old Lope De Vega colt, posted two graded stakes wins at the Spa in 2023 but was fifth in the Grade III Poker Stakes in his last outing.

At Horseshoe Indiana, Lucky Jeremy led from the git-go in Saturday's $150,000 Caesar's Handicap for 3-year-olds and held on to win by 1/2 length. The Lookin At Lucky colt is trained by Mike Maker.

Charlene's Dream was quickly in front in the companion $150,000 Horseshoe Indiana Handicap for 3-year-old fillies and held on to spring a 36-1 upset win. The Qurbaan filly is trained by Ed Moger Jr.

Turf Sprint

Star of Mystery trailed the early leaders in Sunday's $175,000 Grade III Quick Call Stakes for 3-year-olds at Saratoga, circled rivals into the stretch to take the lead a sixteenth out and won by 1 1/4 lengths.

The victory, with Prat up, vindicated trainer Charlie Appleby's decision to scratch the Kodiac filly from Friday's fillies-only Coronation Cup. She was second in the Group 1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai in March and third in the Grade I Jaipur at the Spa in June.

Trainer Christophe Clement and jockey Jairo Rendon won both weekend turf sprints for 3-year-olds at Monmouth Park.

Apollo Ten was scratched from the Quick Call in favor of Sunday's $100,000 My Frenchman for 3-year-olds at Monmouth Park and won that by 3/4 length. El Terreno made all in the $106,000 Blue Sparkler for 3-year-old fillies and won by 2 lengths from Shuangxi.

Twirling Queen took the lead midway through the stretch in Friday's $150,000 Coronation Cup for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga and held on to win by 3/4 length.

Distaff

Miss Justify rallied to a late lead in Friday's $135,000 Wilton Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga and went on to win the 1-mile test by 1 length from Striker Has Dial. The Justify filly got her second straight win.

Filly & Mare Sprint

Haulin Ice gave her rivals the slip turning into the stretch in Saturday's $95,000 Azalea Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park and ran off to a 9 1/2-length victory. The favorite, R Harper Rose, led briefly and faded to finish fifth.

Juvenile

Mo Plex led from the start in Saturday's $175,000 Sanford at Saratoga, withstood some mid-race pressure and came away with a 1-length win over the favorite, Studlydoright.

Mo Plex, a Complexity colt out of the Uncle Mo mare Mo Joy, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:11.72 with Irad Ortiz Jr. aboard for trainer Jeremiah Englehart. He now is 2-for-2.

Juvenile Fillies

Bullet, the odds-on favorite, shot away from eight rivals in the stretch run of Saturday's $125,000 (Canadian) My Dear Stakes at Woodbine and won by 4 1/4 lengths over Soupergirl.

The War Front filly, out of the Tapit mare Marlinspike, ran 5 1/2 furlongs on the all-weather course in 1:04.85. Mark Casse trains and Patrick Husbands rode.

Sunday's Victoria Stakes at Woodbine was canceled because of extreme heat and rescheduled for July 19.