Diodoro has quality to go along with quantity

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – With 13 victories here the last two summers, trainer Robertino Diodoro is looking to build on his Saratoga success with a 20-horse string here this meet.

While Diodoro is known as having a far-flung claiming operation – he also is based in Kentucky and at Lone Star, Evangeline, and Canterbury – he has several young horses this meet that he hopes can elevate his stable. He is coming off being the leading trainer at the Oaklawn Park meet.

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Lexi On the Move is a 3-year-old filly by Fast Anna who won her first two starts at Oaklawn before finishing ninth in the Purple Martin Stakes over a sloppy track. Diodoro plans to try her on the turf in the Coronation Cup going 5 1/2 furlongs here July 31.

“She didn’t like the mud, she was fighting a quarter crack, and she blew a front shoe,” said Diodoro, who noted that Lexi On the Move was wearing a bar shoe over the quarter crack.

Henry’s Deal is a 3-year-old daughter of Race Day who won her debut at Lone Star by 5 1/2 lengths. Owned by Simon Hudy for that start, she has since been purchased by Flying P Stable, who left her with Diodoro.

“She ran a pretty big number first time out,” Diodoro said. “We’ll see what happens.”

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Ava’s Grace, a 2-year-old daughter of Laoban, won her debut by three-quarters of a length on July 3 at Ellis Park. She will likely be pointed to the Adirondack here Aug. 12.

“She wasn’t even ready to run, had the one hole, was trapped inside, and then swung out,” Diodoro said. “It’s always nice to have young horses. It gives you hope. We’re obviously a claiming barn, but one thing we’re trying to work on is getting some young horses in the barn.”

On Saturday, Diodoro will run Flowers for Lisa in a $25,000 claimer that goes as race 8. Flowers for Lisa, owned by Flying P Stable, had previously been with Dominick Schettino and Jorge Navarro.

In addition to picking up Flying P Stable, Diodoro has picked up some horses for Al Gold’s Gold Square Racing, including Wendell Fong, who last year won the Gold Fever Stakes at Belmont Park when in the barn of Jeremiah Englehart.