Tom Pedulla offers takeaways from opening weekend at Saratoga Race Course and other major developments.

Whitebeam winning 2024 Diana Stakes. (Eclipse Sportswire)

DOMINANT IN DIANA: Chad Brown continued to rule the $500,000 Diana Stakes when Juddmonte homebred Whitebeam led from start to finish under Flavien Prat to secure a repeat win in the race. The front-running victory allowed Brown to extend his record with his ninth win in the Grade 1 race and eighth in the last nine editions. “It’s remarkable the horses and clients I’ve had through the years to send me and my team these horses,” Brown said. “It’s nine Dianas and there are several team members who were there for the first Diana (Zagora in 2011) and they’ve been here for all of them. That’s the consistency of the program, really.”

PROMISING YOUNGSTER: Mo Plex made an attention-grabbing debut when he controlled a 5 ½-furlong race at Belmont at the Big A by 10 lengths against state-breds on June 20. The question then became how he might handle a graded stakes race against open company. He answered that with a front-running, one-length decision over Studlydoright in the six-furlong, $175,000 Sanford Stakes on Saturday at Saratoga. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. was among those impressed by the outcome. “When we turned for home, I asked him and he responded well,” he said. “I had to keep him busy to keep his attention to get the job done. He is a really nice horse. He has talent.”

SITTING ON GO: Thorpedo Anna, convincing winner of the Longines Kentucky Oaks and the DK Horse Acorn Stakes, went through her final tune-up for next Saturday’s Coaching Club American Oaks when she drilled five furlongs in 1:01.55 in company with Gould’s Gold Saturday on the Oklahoma training track. Trainer Kenny McPeek called it a “nice maintenance work” and added, “Maybe they went off a little slow early, but they got everything they needed.” McPeek has said he would consider taking on the boys in the Aug. 24 DraftKings Travers Stakes if his star filly dispatches other fillies with ease in the July 20 Coaching Club American Oaks.

EYEING WHITNEY: Trainer Saffie Joseph Jr. said there is a “strong possibility” that Skippylongstocking, most recently third in the June 29 Stephen Foster Stakes at Churchill Downs, will run in the Aug. 3 Whitney Stakes at Saratoga. Joseph liked what he saw in the Stephen Foster. “He lost his position and then ran back on,” the trainer noted. “He had the fastest final eighth in the race. It is very rare you see a horse drop back and still run the fastest final eighth.” Joseph continues to monitor the health of White Abarrio, who won the Whitney and the Longines Breeders’ Cup Classic in 2023 while under the care of Rick Dutrow Jr. He said White Abarrio’s bloodwork “still hasn’t come back right.”

MINOR SETBACK: Fans eager to catch a glimpse of heavily favored Mentee in the Sanford Stakes were disappointed when the full-brother to 2023 champion 2-year-old male Fierceness spiked a fever Saturday morning, forcing trainer Todd Pletcher to scratch him. “It wasn’t the way we wanted to start our morning, but welcome to Saratoga and training babies,” said Pletcher, adding, “It’s frustrating because he was training well and doing well and you hate to miss an opportunity like this. But it could be worse and, hopefully, it’s something he gets over quickly.” If there is a swift recovery, the $200,000 Saratoga Special Stakes on Aug. 10 could become his next target.