Diamond Green sets sights lower

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. - Diamond Green was ambitiously spotted the first time he came to America, finishing eighth in last October's Breeders' Cup Mile. His sights are set a bit more realistically for his second trip to the U.S., when he runs in Saturday's $65,000 Troy Stakes at Saratoga.

The Troy, run at one mile over the inner turf course, is for horses that have not won an open stakes in 2004-05. , a 4-year-old son of Green Dancer, was beaten a neck in last year's Group 1 St. James's Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot and has not won since taking a Group 3 at Longchamp on Sept. 11, 2003.

In two starts this year, Diamond Green was beaten a neck in a Group 3 in France before finishing last in the Group 1 Eclipse Stakes on July 2. He was sent to Bobby Frankel's barn shortly after that race and shows two modest works on the Oklahoma training turf course. Diamond Green will race on Lasix for the first time.

, another European import, was successful in his North American debut, taking a third-level allowance race last month at Delaware Park. Trainer Graham Motion had tried to run him three previous times, but all three races came off the turf.

"I think he's doing super," Motion said. "He won pretty handily that day at Delaware, but obviously this is a big step up."

John Velazquez rides Funfair from the rail. Velazquez had been the regular rider for Willard Straight, who won this race last year. Willard Straight is 2 for 2 at Saratoga and 4 for 6 at one mile, and gets Jerry Bailey.

is entered back just six days after setting a strong pace and getting run down by Dave in the West Point Handicap. He could be the one to catch under new rider Gary Stevens, who replaces Chantal Sutherland.

Del Mar Show, who won the 2002 Bernard Baruch Handicap over this course, cuts back to a mile, the distance of his last win.