Diana Stakes Handicapping Picks
Horse racing gamblers are you looking for 2021 Diana Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping Odds…plus some predictions? Need some advice on who to take? The 2021 Diana Stakes is set for July 17 at Saratoga Race Course in Saratoga Springs, New York. Here’s a preview of our top contenders.
Diana Stakes Preview and Prediction
- Race: Diana Stakes
- Purse: $500,000
- Track: Saratoga Race Course
- Date: July 17
- Post Time: 6:16 PM (ET)
- Live: Diana Stakes Odds: Click Here
2021 Diana Stakes Handicapping
The summer race meet at historic Saratoga Race Course kicks off this week, and right out the gate they hit the ground running with a pair of Saturday graded-stakes races, including the (G1) Diana Stakes.
Open to fillies and mares age four and older, the Diana is run at 1 1/8 miles on the Saratoga turf course. The 2021 Diana has drawn a very tough and competitive handicapping field, with five of the eight runners listed at under 6-1 in the pre-race odds.
Odds listed here are provided by Bovada’s racebook.
2021 Diana Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Harvey’s Lil Goil Race Odds: 3-1
The slight morning line favourite, Harvey’s Lil Goil ran third in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf last November to close out 2020, and then opened 2021 by gutting out a half-length win in the (G3) Beaugay Stakes at Belmont Park.
She tried stretching out to 1 1/4 miles last out in the (G2) New York Stakes and finished fifth by four lengths against a very tough field. Now she cuts back to what is probably a better distance for her.
She’s trained by Bill Mott, who has won the Diana four times, most recently in 2010. Junior Alvarado is tapped to ride.
2021 Diana Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Althiqa Race Odds: 7-2
The well-traveled UK-bred Althiqa has raced in England, France, the United Arab Emirates and now the US, and has never been worse than third in any of her 10 lifetime starts and has five wins in those races to her name.
Included in those is a last-out win in her US debut, when she took the (G1) Just A Game Stakes going a flat mile on the grass at Belmont Park. There she came from off the pace with a rail trip around the bend and won by 3/4 of a length in a speedy 1:33.90.
The trainer is Charles Appleby, the jock is Manny Franco.
2021 Diana Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Summer Romance Race Odds: 4-1
Very similar to Althiqa, the Irish-bred Summer Romance has also raced in the UK, France and the UAE, and the two fillies have now run three consecutive races against each other, including last out when Summer Romance finished second in the Just A Game.
Prior to that she got the upper hand on her rival when she won the Balachine Stakes at Meydan Race Course in the UAE. She has four wins and six in-the-money finishes in her 10 race career.
She’s another Charles Appleby trainee, while 2014 race winner Luis Saez gets the mount.
2021 Diana Stakes Free Pick & Handicapping: Lemista Race Odds: 4-1
A multiple stakes winner in her native Ireland, Lemista made both her 2021 and US debut last out when she ran second to Harvey’s Lil Goil in the Beaugay. There she came from near the back of the small field before spinning out in the stretch and showing good energy to close on the leader before running out of track.
Overall she has won four of her eight lifetime starts.
She’s one of two in the race for trainer Chad Brown, who has won the Diana the last five years in a row. Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. goes for his third Diana win.
Here’s My 2021 Diana Stakes Free Pick.
As mentioned off the top this is a very tough race to handicap, where anyone of five could win, with Pocket Square also in with a shot along with the four listed above.
While I’ve always been a fan of Harvey’s Lil Goil, she can be inconsistent and so I’m going to look to the overseas invaders and try to get a bit of value in taking Lemista for the win.
She had been off for almost 8 months before running in the Beaugay so she likely needed a start under her saddle to get back into race fitness. I expect she’ll also appreciate the extra 16th mile of race track she’ll be getting here.
Full Field: Diana Stakes Betting Odds
(By post position)
- #1 – La Signare 25-1
- #2 – Pocket Square 11-2
- #3 – Magic Attitude 12-1
- #4 – Vigilantes Way 25-1
- #5 – Harvey’s Lil Goil 3-1
- #6 – Summer Romance 4-1
- #7 – Lemista 4-1
- #8 – Althiqa 7-2
What do you think of our 2021 Diana Stakes Race Odds & Predictions? Weigh in below with a comment. We welcome your feedback.
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