She might have been the bridesmaid in last year's running, but no one was taking her 'New York moment' in 2024.
Didia (Arg) (m, 6, Orpen–Delambre {Brz}, by Rainbow Corner {GB}) broke well to briefly see open air in the GI New York S. before eager pacesetters to her outside, namely Royalty Interest (Fr) (Le Havre {Fr}) and Surprisingly (Mastery), stepped out to dispute who would lead the large field of 13. The former ended up at the head of affairs and rolled along through :23.18 and :47.74 fractions as Fev Rover (Ire) (Gutaifan {Ire}) joined them despite some pre-race antics which left Javier Castellano off her back and her briefly loose.
In no hurry as she neatly tucked into cover from fourth, Didia raced well on the fence behind that leading flight and was picking up steam as the field swung through the final bend. Four wide for her rally but rolling with all the momentum, the 9-1 shot inhaled the leaders outside of the eighth pole and kicked away to a clear advantage as Neecie Marie (Cross Traffic) ran on for second with War Like Goddess (English Channel) getting up for third in her seasonal bow.
“She was like a monster. It's a great feeling,” said trainer Ignacio Correas, IV. “I targeted this race for months and months. It was really hard for me to lose this race last year [when Didia ran second]. I never expected to lose it last year. I was disappointed.”
Correas added jokingly, “Probably the secret today was that Chad [Brown] only had two in there, usually he has four.”
Jose Ortiz similarly had glowing praise for his charge's effort en route to capturing her first North American Grade I victory. “I think she leveled up her performance today. The trainer, Ignacio [Correas, IV], does an amazing job with this horse and all his horses. He had this filly doing unbelievable for a long time, which is remarkable.”
“I mean I won [the GI New York S.] last year [on Marketsegmentation], but [Didia} was very deserving. She is a nice filly. Hopefully, she goes and keeps getting better, or stays at this level because she is very nice.”
A Group 1 winner in her native Argentina, Didia has only been off the board three times in her career, and at once point rode a seven-race win streak that spanned two continents, and four different track across them. Said win streak was ironically snapped in last year's edition of the GI New York S., but she quickly returned to the winner's enclosure in October when taking the GII Rodeo Drive S. at Santa Anita Park. She would finish 10th in the GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf but would again bounce back to form with a game victory over Surprisingly in the GII Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf Invitational Jan. 27. She was last seen Apr. 13 at Keeneland running third in the GI Jenny Wiley S.
DIDIA wins the Grade 1 New York Stakes Presented by @RiversCasino_NY under @jose93_ortiz for trainer Ignacio Correas, IV. pic.twitter.com/ffjSFsXUO5
— Belmont Stakes (@BelmontStakes) June 7, 2024
Pedigree Notes:
Didia hails from a dam who has produced a fleet of accomplished runners in addition to being on herself. Delambre was Group 1-placed in Brazil in her time on the track and has found great acclaim in the shed as well being the dam or granddam to no less than four Group/Grade I horses.
Her first offspring was a filly who did not make the races, but did go on to produce a Group runner in Argentine. Her second was Didia's elder full-brother Dedini (Arg), who would twice be Group 1 placed in their homeland before retiring to the shed and the third was another full-brother who would later become Singaporean champion all-weather horse SW Davide (Arg).
Didia's full-sister Delirada (Arg) was a winner as well, but her greatest claim to fame came in the form of her son, Argentinian Horse of the Year MG1SW-Arg Tetaze (Arg) (Equal Stripes {Arg}) and his half-brother G1SP-Arg Hacer Un Puente (Arg) (Cosmic Tiger {Arg}). Didia is the last for her dam–there are no living foals or covers on record since 2019–and arguably her most accomplished.
Orpen is among leading sires in both Argentina and Slovakia, and counts 15 champions from his 21 crops of racing age. In a fascinating side bar, one of his sons, Invincible Son, dominated in Eastern Europe as an eight-time Turkish champion.
Friday, Saratoga
NEW YORK S. PRESENTED BY RIVERS CASINO-GI, $750,000, Saratoga, 6-7, 4yo/up, f/m, 1 3/16mT, 1:52.29, fm.
1–DIDIA (ARG), 122, m, 6, by Orpen
1st Dam: Delambre (Brz) (G1SP-Brz), by Rainbow Corner (GB)
2nd Dam: Diya, by Ariosto (Arg)
3rd Dam: Sevilla (Arg), by Ringaro
O-Merriebelle Stables and Resolute Racing; B-La Manija (ARG); T-Ignacio Correas, IV; J-Jose L. Ortiz. $412,500. Lifetime Record: Ch. 3-year-old Filly-Arg, MG1SW-Arg, 17-11-2-1, $1,533,484. *Full to Davide (Arg), Ch. All-weather Horse-Sin, SW-Sin, $549,642; 1/2 to Desvelo (Arg) (Sunray Spirit), MSP, $181,511; Full to Dedini (Arg), MG1SP-Arg. Werk Nick Rating: C+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Neecie Marie, 120, f, 4, by Cross Traffic
1st Dam: Lode Lady, by Posse
2nd Dam: Gold Strike, by Smart Strike
3rd Dam: Brassy Gold, by Dixieland Brass
1ST G1 BLACK TYPE. ($25,000 Ylg '21 EASOCT). O-Michael Milam; B-Jon A. Marshall (PA); T-Robert E. Reid, Jr. $150,000.
3–War Like Goddess, 124, m, 7, by English Channel
1st Dam: Misty North, by North Light (Ire)
2nd Dam: Misty Gallop, by Victory Gallop
3rd Dam: Romanette, by Alleged
($1,200 Wlg '17 KEENOV; $1,000 RNA Ylg '18 KEESEP; $30,000 2yo '19 OBSOPN). O-George Krikorian; B-Calumet Farm (KY); T-William I. Mott. $90,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1 3/4, 3/4. Odds: 9.30, 25.75, 4.60.
Also Ran: Surprisingly, McKulick (GB), Fev Rover (Ire), Aspen Grove (Ire), American Sonja (GB), Sparkle Blue, Royalty Interest (Fr), Star Fortress (Ire), English Rose (Ire), Be Your Best (Ire).
Click for the Equibase.com chart and the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV.
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