A small but select field of seven, led by two-time defending champion Forever Together, was drawn for Saturday's Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- A small but select field of seven, led by two-time defending champion Forever Together, was drawn for Saturday's Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga. The group of fillies and mares includes the late inclusion of 2008 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf winner Maram.
Chad Brown, tied with Todd Pletcher for the top spot in the trainer standings with three winners on opening weekend, said he wrestled with the notion of running Maram in the Diana for several weeks before ultimately deciding to pull the trigger and put her in the entry box.
"I was 50-50 about running her since she won her last start in New Jersey," Brown said after entries were drawn early Wednesday afternoon for the 1 1/8-mile turf race. "The choice was to give her more time and wait for the Ballston Spa or run her in the Diana. But she's been doing super, is 2 for 2 at Saratoga, and if she's ever going to have a shot at winning a Grade 1, it will be here."
Maram overcame an unlucky trip to win
Monmouth Park's Ms. Liberty on July 4.
"She had a nightmare trip. She was in trouble the whole way," said Brown. "The only thing I was happy about the race was that she won."
Maram will break from post 7 with regular rider Jose Lezcano aboard. The remainder of the field, from the rail out, consists of Proviso (Mike Smith); My Princess Jess (Cornelio Velasquez); Phola (Ramon Dominguez); Forever Together (Julien Leparoux); Dynaslew (Eibar Coa), and Shared Account (Edgar Prado).
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