Diamond Oops picks up the pieces in Mr. Prospector

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. – Diamond Oops closed out a stellar 2019 campaign on a high note, rallying from off a torrid pace to register a one-length victory over Lasting Legacy in Saturday’s $100,000 Mr. Prospector at Gulfstream Park. Four-time Grade 1 winner Imperial Hint finished a tiring third as the 3-5 favorite when stretching to seven furlongs for the first time in more than 19 months.

Diamond Oops entered the Grade 3 Mr. Prospector with just one win in six previous starts on the year, a victory in the Grade 3 Smile Sprint here on June 29. But the versatile son of Lookin At Lucky was also Grade 1 placed twice and had banked more than $450,000 for a partnership group that included his trainer Patrick Biancone.

With regular rider Julien Leparoux aboard, Diamond Oops rated within easy striking distance off a blistering early pace set by X Y Jet, who posted splits of 21.92 and 43.85 seconds for the opening half-mile. Imperial Hint was the first to pounce on the leader, readily taking control into the stretch. But Diamond Oops had all the momentum at that point, overtaking the favorite near midstretch before edging clear at the end.

Lasting Legacy brought a three-race winning streak into the race that included a victory in Monmouth Park’s version of the Mr. Prospector three months earlier. He, too, sat off the pace, fanned a bit wide leaving the turn before finishing with good energy despite remaining on his left lead down the stretch.

Imperial Hint, who won the Grade 1 Vanderbilt and Vosburgh in his two previous starts but was scratched the morning of the Breeders’ Cup Sprint due to a minor foot issue, received a perfect trip under Javier Castellano but came up a bit empty at the end.

“It was a little too far, that’s it,” his trainer Luis Carvajal Jr. said after the race. “That’s all I was worried about. Javier said he felt good. He just got a little tired. You could see he was struggling a bit at the end. His best distance is six furlongs. But this should set him up good, hopefully, for Saudi, and if all goes well we’ll jump to Dubai from there.”

Carvajal was referring to the $1.5 million Riyadh Dirt Sprint on Feb. 29 in Saudi Arabia.

X Y Jet, idle since defeating Imperial Hint when posting a wire-to-wire, 1 1/2-length triumph in the Dubai Golden Shaheen on March 30, was also a question mark going seven furlongs. He had little left once relinquishing the lead approaching the stretch, easing to the wire far behind the leaders.

Diamond Oops completed the distance in 1:21.36 over a track upgraded from good to fast earlier in the day. He paid $9.

“He appreciates a little moisture in the track,” said Biancone. “He’s still a young horse for his age because he missed a year. Even though the pace was fast, he was cruising behind them. Julien rode him perfect.”