SARATOGA LIVINGThe City. The Culture. The Life.

In Wednesday, July 25’s Honorable Miss Handicap, six fillies and mares will race six furlongs for a $200,000 purse. Daily Racing Form’s Dan Illman and Matt Bernier discuss the field, including the 3-1 Chalon and Vertical Oak, who has been known to race well on wet tracks. With rain in the forecast, the winner is anyone’s guess.

Here’s what you need to know about Sunday’s juvenile race:

Trainer Todd Pletcher has already won the tradition-rich Sanford Stakes a record six times and stands an excellent chance of adding to that when he sends out likely favorite Sombeyay along with his stablemate Lexitonian in the Grade 3 race Saturday at Saratoga.

Sombeyay is the only member of the Sanford lineup with stakes experience, having finished a late-running second despite stumbling at the start of the Tremont at Belmont Park on June 8. Starlight Racing owns Sombeyay, an easy winner of his career debut six weeks ago at Gulfstream Park. Pletcher won the 2015 Sanford for Starlight with Uncle Vinny.

Sombeyay did not fare well at the post position draw, pulling the rail with Javier Castellano named to ride.

“It’s a disadvantage drawing the inside with babies, but he’s got a little experience down in there,” said Pletcher, referring to Sombeyay’s effort in the Tremont.

“Stumbling at the start certainly compromised his chances that day, but he ran on well, and having a couple of races under his belt should be helpful. He’s also going to benefit if there’s a hot pace, and usually there is in these types of races.”

Pletcher was also high on the chances of the Calumet Farm homebred Lexitonian, who in his only start broke from the rail and rallied to a one-length victory going five furlongs at Belmont on June 27.

“I thought he was very professional in his debut, sitting off horses and coming up the rail the way he did,” Pletcher said. “And he’s trained well since.”

Lexitonian will be ridden by John Velazquez, who has done Pletcher one better by having won the Sanford a record seven times.

“I think the added distance should be good for both horses and we’re going to learn a lot about where they stand in the mix from this race,” Pletcher said.

Mark Casse and Steve Asmussen both also entered two starters for the Sanford, although Casse said he plans to run only Strike Silver while scratching Dream Maker to await the Saratoga Special later in the meet.

Ridden by Julien Leparoux, Strike Silver led at every call and held off a bid from Nitrous to win his only start by a neck at Churchill Downs on June 14.

“He beat a horse I know they’re really high on in his first start,” Casse said, referring to Nitrous, who runs in Saturday’s eighth race at Saratoga. “He’s trained like he’s a pretty good horse and he drew a great post. Normally our riders know we’d like them to settle, but Julien said he broke so fast he went to plan B.”

Leparoux was originally named on Dream Maker, but due to the scratch will switch to ride Strike Silver again in the Sanford.

Asmussen’s duo consists of Whiskey Echo and Bano Solo, each a wire-to-wire winner of his only start. Whiskey Echo earned his diploma at Belmont while Bano Solo graduated at Churchill Downs.

Knicks Go and Chase Greatness, both of whom won a maiden race in their last start, complete the field.

This story originally appeared on DRF.com. 

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For the last four weeks, Sistercharlie and A Raving Beauty have been sparring against each other in the mornings. Saturday afternoon, these two top turf females will duke it out with a Grade 1 victory on the line in the $500,000 Diana Stakes at Saratoga.

Sistercharlie and A Raving Beauty along with the multiple Grade 1 winner New Money Honey give trainer Chad Brown a strong hand as he seeks his third consecutive victory in the Diana, the first Grade 1 race of the Saratoga meet.

Brown has six of the 10 ranked turf fillies and mares in Daily Racing Form’s Watchmaker Watch, a divisional ranking compiled by national handicapper Mike Watchmaker. Sistercharlie, winner of the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley and tough-luck loser to stablemate Fourstar Crook in the New York, is ranked on top. A Raving Beauty, recent winner of the Grade 1 Just a Game, is third, with Fourstar Crook second.

Proctor’s Ledge, ranked fourth, is also in the Diana field.

Sistercharlie, an Irish-bred filly owned by Peter Brant, came off an eight-month layoff to win the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland at 1 1/16 miles, a performance that gives Brown confidence she will handle the 1 1/8-miles of the Diana.

“She might have been looking for more ground,” Brown said.

Sistercharlie ran a remarkable race in the 10-furlong New York Stakes at Belmont. There was a run-off speed horse in that race, and Sistercharlie found herself 28 lengths off the pace. She launched a bid on the turn and fell a head short of Fourstar Crook at the wire.

“Hopefully, she gets better position in this race,” Brown said.

Sistercharlie will break from the rail under John Velazquez.

A Raving Beauty, a German-bred mare owned by Michael Dubb, Michael Caruso’s Bethlehem Stables, and Sol Kumin’s Madaket Stables, is coming off a victory in the Grade 1 Just a Game going a mile at Belmont Park.

“I think she wants more than a mile,” Brown said. “I think she’s a horse that keeps getting better. She’s top class.”

New Money Honey, a Grade 1 winner at 2 and 3, is coming off an allowance victory at Belmont on June 21 in her 4-year-old debut.

The major threat to the Brown trio is Proctor’s Ledge, who is very live in this spot. Last summer, Proctor’s Ledge won both the Lake George and Lake Placid at Saratoga, overcoming slow paces in both races. This Diana does not appear to have much pace, either.

“It doesn’t really matter, she can work off a slow pace or a fast pace,” trainer Brendan Walsh said. “I would think she would be forwardly placed, in the first two or three, anyway. There doesn’t look like a ton of pace. She’s adaptable. I’m not too concerned either way.”

Hawksmoor won the Grade 3 Beaugay and Grade 2 New York on the front end last year. She stumbled badly at the break of the Grade 1 Gamely at Santa Anita in her most recent start, and then missed a start in the Dr. James Penney Memorial at Parx when that race was canceled due to heat.

Trainer Graham Motion nearly stole last year’s Diana with Quidura, who was run down late by Lady Eli. Saturday, he sends out Ultra Brat coming off an impressive victory in the Grade 3 Gallorette, run over a bog at Pimlico.

Longshot War Canoe completes the field.

The Diana goes as race 10 on an 11-race card that also includes the Grade 3 Sanford for 2-year-olds.

KEY CONTENDERS:

Sistercharlie, by Myboycharlie

Last 3 Beyers: 101-104-88

◗ She might have won the deepest female turf race of the year when she took the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland.

◗ Her breezes with A Raving Beauty have been spectacular.

A Raving Beauty, by Mastercraftsman

Last 3 Beyers: 100-98-N/A

◗ After winning the Grade 3 Beaugay off a 5 1/2-month layoff, she turned around in four weeks to win the Grade 1 Just a Game, beating Proctor’s Ledge.

◗ Her stalking style may get her first run on Sistercharlie.

Proctor’s Ledge, by Ghostzapper

Last 3 Beyers: 97-97-89

◗ Gets an eight-pound shift in the weights from A Raving Beauty, who beat her by three-quarters of a length in the Just a Game.

“I think A Raving Beauty’s a really, really good filly,” Walsh said. “Not to say she won’t beat us again, but at least it does give us a little bit of an advantage.”

◗ Loses John Velazquez, but picks up Jose Ortiz.

Hawskmoor, by Azamour

Last 3 Beyers: 82-86-100

◗ Has shown to be dangerous when allowed to have things her own way on the front end.

This story originally appeared on DRF.com.

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