Ava's Grace finally gets to try turf in Cupecoy's Joy Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Ava’s Grace will take a significant drop in class and make a surface switch when she runs in the Cupecoy’s Joy division of the New York Stallion Stakes series at Belmont Park. The Cupecoy’s Joy, for 3-year-old fillies, and the Spectacular Bid, for 3-year-olds, will both be run Saturday. Each is worth $150,000 and scheduled for seven furlongs on turf.

Ava’s Grace, a daughter of Laoban, has never raced on turf. She hasn’t run since finishing second to Pauline’s Pearl in the Grade 3 Fantasy Stakes on April 3 at Oaklawn Park. Ava’s Grace was entered in the Kentucky Oaks, but scratched two days before the race with what turned out to be a muscle pull in her hind end, trainer Robertino Diodoro said.

:: Enhance your handicapping with DRF’s Belmont Park Clocker Report

“We did some work on it,” Diodoro said. “Actually, she came around fairly quick out of it, which is good. She’s had some solid works of late. I look forward to running her Saturday. I think she’ll love the grass.”

Diodoro said that ever since Ava’s Grace won first out at Ellis Park, he wanted to get Ava’s Grace on turf. She finished third in the Grade 2 Adirondack on dirt at Saratoga in August before being sidelined the remainder of the year. Ava’s Grace wintered at Oaklawn Park, where there is no turf.

Ava’s Grace drew post 10 and will face 13 rivals in the Cupecoy’s Joy.

Diodoro will send out Dreamer’s Disease in the Spectacular Bid. Dreamer’s Disease, a son Laoban, won a maiden race on turf at Ellis Park last summer. He then ran eighth in the Kentucky Downs Juvenile before moving to the dirt for his next three races.

Diodoro is basically throwing out the Kentucky Downs Juvenile, which was run on the European-style turf course at Kentucky Downs.

“That’s not real turf to me,” Diodoro said. “He couldn’t stand up on it. He loved it at Ellis. I haven’t run that much at Kentucky Downs. I’m thinking, ‘This is going to be great.’ He couldn’t get out of neutral.”

:: Get Daily Racing Form Past Performances – the exclusive home of Beyer Speed Figures

Dreamer’s Disease drew post 6 in a full field of 14 entered in the Spectacular Bid that includes stakes winners Step Dancer, Hold the Salsa, and The King Cheek.

David Cohen will be here to ride both Diodoro horses on Saturday and plans to ride the remainder of the Belmont meet before moving up to Saratoga for the summer.