Diva Express, I'm a Looker resume rivalry in Roxelana

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Diva Express and I’m a Looker have a score to settle. Four weeks after the 4-year-old fillies dead-heated for the win in the Grade 3 Winning Colors, they’ll be back at it again at Churchill Downs when rematched in the Saturday feature, the $67,000 Roxelana Stakes.

After overcoming a sluggish start, I’m a Looker appeared to have nailed Diva Express on the wire in the six-furlong Winning Colors, but a favorable head bob allowed Diva Express to salvage a split. Since then, both have trained forwardly while earning a bullet in their only interim workouts.

“We feel like we’ve figured her out,” said Norman Casse, son of and assistant to Mark Casse, the trainer of Diva Express.

“She’s really good right now. She worked awesome Sunday,” he added, referring to a half-mile in 46.80 seconds.

Diva Express, with Julien Leparoux to ride, will break from post 6 in this seventh running of the Roxelana, while Robby Albarado will be aboard I’m a Looker from the far-outside post. Ten fillies and mares are entered in the six-furlong race, but Kathballu, assigned post 10, will scratch in favor of the Chicago Handicap at Arlington Park, according to trainer Ken McPeek. Athena also is cross-entered at Arlington, but trainer Helen Pitts said Thursday she was unsure which race she will run in.

Besides the top pair from the Winning Colors, logical contenders in the Roxelana include Milam, a two-time winner over the Churchill surface, and the uncoupled Tom Amoss pair of Lunar Gaze and Ramona’s Wildcat.

The Roxelana, named for the standout sprinter trained by the late Blackie Huffman from 2000-03, is part of a Single Six sequence that runs from races 6 to 11. The Single Six carryover figured to be about $650,000 by Saturday, assuming it wasn’t swept Thursday or Friday by a perfect solo ticket.

First post for the final Saturday afternoon card of this 38-day spring meet is 12:45 Eastern, with the Roxelana set for 5:21. The meet closes next Saturday, July 2, with a Downs After Dark program featuring a pair of six-furlong stakes for 2-year-olds.

Roxelana, Race 10

KEY CONTENDERS

Diva Express, by Afleet Express

Last 3 Beyers: 84-92-75

◗ Her 3-for-3 record over the local surface is an obvious point in her favor, and few stables have been hotter this year than that of Casse, who entered this week fifth in earnings ($6.3 million) among all North American trainers.

I’m a Looker, by Henny Hughes

Last 3 Beyers: 84-91-70

◗ Breaking from the open-air outside post, Albarado might well be afforded a better trip than last time aboard a filly who is trained by Pat Dupuy and cost a mere $4,500 when bought as a yearling by co-owner Chet Miller.

Lunar Gaze, by Malibu Moon

Last 3 Beyers: 70-82-77

◗ This Kentucky-bred filly has more recency on her side than Louisiana-bred Ramona’s Wildcat, although both Amoss runners appear fully capable of a minor upset given their best efforts.