Whitebeam led every step of the way to notch a repeat victory in the $500,000 Grade 1 Diana Stakes July 13 at Saratoga Race Course. The win was the 150th Grade 1 win in the career of trainer Chad Brown, and also accounted for Brown's ninth victory in the 1 1/8-mile turf stakes for fillies and mares and his eighth in the last nine years.

The Diana added yet another glowing line to Brown's career resume that seems certain to earn him a spot in the Hall of Fame once he completes his 25th year as trainer in 2032. A winner of 2,289 races in his career to date, his horses have earned $289,300.559, placing him sixth on the all-time earnings list.

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"It's nine Dianas. It means a lot to me. It means a lot to my team," said Brown, a former assistant to the late Hall of Fame trainer Bobby Frankel.

"(Bobby) Frankel taught me well and he was always pointing towards this race. There's a very short list of races when I left Frankel that it was just instilled in me that he held in high regard and pointed towards. The Diana was way up on that list,” Brown said. For him to hold it in high regard, it really must have meant something. So, I thought if I ever had good enough horses, this is a race I really need to focus on because he's not wrong much. I'm very fortunate to have horses good enough to run in this race, really."

Whitebeam a Juddmonte homebred, was winless in four starts since taking the 2023 Diana but was coming off a game second in the June 7 Grade 1 Just a Game Stakes, when she finished a half-length behind Brown stablemate and Diana starter Chili Flag. The Diana was her third start of the year.

Whitebeam and jockey Flavien Prat grabbed the lead from the start, covering the opening half-mile in :49.49 while leading by a length. The early fractions were modest, but Whitebeam began motoring after six furlongs in 1:13.76. As 2-1 favorite Didia tried to collar her, Whitebeam covered her next quarter mile in a blazing :22.94 to fend off that bid and open a safe 1 1/2-length lead in mid-stretch on her way to a three-quarters of a length margin of victory.

"There was a lack of pace on paper and the plan was to go out there and just try to control the race and see if she was good enough to hold on," Brown said.

Didia dropped back to fourth. Moira, the Kevin Attard-trained Canadian-bred 2022 Queen's Plate winner, closed strongly from sixth in the field of 10 to take second by a nose over Gina Romantica, who was another of Brown's five starters in the race. He also sent out Coppice (fifth), Fluffy Socks (eighth), and Chili Flag (ninth).

The 5-year-old Whitebeam ($11.60) covered the nine furlongs in 1:48.14 while becoming the seventh back-to-back Diana winner. The win was her sixth in 14 starts.

No Catching NY-bred Mo Plex in Sanford Stakes

Mo Plex became the newest poster boy for the lucrative New York-bred breeding program with his front-running score in the $175,000 Grade 3 Sanford Stakes July 13 at Saratoga Race Course.

The Sanford field was dealt a curve ball early Saturday morning when 6-5 morning line favorite Mentee was scratched from the race. Owner Mike Repole had reported on X that the full brother to 2023 champion 2-year-old male Fierceness had unfortunately spiked a 102.2-degree temperature. With the absence of the speedy Mentee, the Sanford suddenly became a wide-open playing field.

Mo Plex. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)

Mo Plex has surpassed all expectations after being bought for a bargain price of $45,000 at this year's Ocala Breeders' Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training. The Sanford victory came only 23 days after Mo Plex had demolished his rivals by 10 lengths in a state-bred maiden special weight during the Belmont at the Big A meeting.

"I love the (New York-bred) program," said trainer Jeremiah Englehart. "This is where I call home all year long, and I concentrate and focus on buying New York-breds. Hopefully, we've got a few more we can unveil later in the meet and have some fun with. It's just a tremendous program, and they've shown they can run with anything."

Irad Ortiz Jr. spurred Mo Plex to the front from the far outside post and cleared the field in the first 50 yards while scampering to an advantage through a :22.51 opening quarter mile. With his opponents reeling behind him turning for home following a half-mile in :45.92, Mo Plex drove down the lane and held safe by a diminishing length over a late-rallying Studlydoright.

"I hope everything works out well with (scratched morning-line favorite) Mentee, and we kind of benefitted a little bit from the scratch today, but Irad rode him really well," Englehart said. "I'm really excited with how he did everything."

Mo Plex ($5.70) stopped the timer in 1.11.72 for six furlongs on a fast main track.

Maryland-bred Studlydoright, winner of the Tremont Stakes June 6, finished a half-length in front of third-place finisher Three Echoes. -- Molly Rollins