Brown has a bunch for Diana Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – Chad Brown trains seven of the 15 fillies and mares nominated to the $500,000 Diana Stakes, the first Grade 1 of the Saratoga meet, scheduled for July 21.

Brown said Sunday he could run as many as four in the 1 1/8-mile turf race. A Raving Beauty, winner of the Grade 1 Just a Game, and Sistercharlie, winner of the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, are considered definite to run. Fourstar Crook, who beat Sistercharlie in the New York Stakes, and New Money Honey, who came off a lengthy layoff to win an allowance race at Belmont, are possible.

On Sunday, A Raving Beauty and Sistercharlie worked a solid five furlongs together in 1:00.75, getting the final quarter in 22.60 seconds.

“They worked super,” Brown said.

Brown has won the last two runnings of the Diana, finishing 1-3 in 2017 and 1-3-7-10 in 2016.

Quidura, who finished second in last year’s Diana when in the barn of Graham Motion, is now with Brown. She worked five furlongs Sunday in 1:01.55 in company with Rushing Fall, who is preparing for the Grade 2 Lake George on July 20 at Saratoga.

Brown’s other Diana nominees include Off Limits and Thais.

Off Limits, who won last year’s Grade 1 Matriach, is winless in three starts this year.

“Trying to figure out what to do with her off this year’s form,” Brown said. “We still very much like the filly. We know she’s top class. It bothers me that we haven’t been able to get her on track here. Still hope to have a good second half of the season.”

Off Limits worked a half-mile in 49.05 on Sunday with Rymska, a filly who won her last three starts of 2017 but who has yet to run this year.

“We hope to have her ready for the latter part of Saratoga,” Brown said of Rymska.

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