Justalittlesmoke blazing into Diana Stakes
Justalittlesmoke, a leading contender for Ohio-bred Horse of the Year after winning four straight races and three stakes since beginning her 4-year-old campaign in May, looks to continue her success in Saturday’s $75,000 Diana Stakes at Thistledown.
The six-furlong Diana, restricted to Ohio-bred fillies and mares, is the final stakes of the season at Thistledown, which closes Oct. 22.
The only question about Justalittlesmoke is how she will react after improving nearly 20 points on the Beyer Speed Figure scale when she soared to a 96 in winning the Scarlet and Gray Handicap on Sept. 17. Her previous three races were all in the narrow range of 75 to 78.
The 3-year-old Proper Discretion, a distant second to Justalittlesmoke in the Scarlet and Gray, will take another crack at the favorite. She will carry five pounds fewer than 122-pound highweight Justalittlesmoke.
It’s difficult to make a strong case for any of the other four fillies and mares in the field.
Diana, Race 7
KEY CONTENDERS
Justalittlesmoke, by Smoke Glacken
Last 3 Beyers: 96-78-75
◗ She has won her last two races by a combined 14 3/4 lengths and has lost only once in her last seven starts dating to last October. Unless she bounces, she should romp again.
Proper Discretion, by Discreetly Mine
Last 3 Beyers: 79-71-74
◗ Her four-race winning streak was snapped in the Scarlet and Gray, in which she set the pace for the first half-mile before being passed by Justalittlesmoke. Hard to imagine jockey Ricardo Feliciano will change tactics as his filly projects as the controlling speed.
Floral Sky, by Sky Mesa
Last 3 Beyers: 65-42-77
◗ She was third behind Justalittlesmoke in last year’s Diana and was trounced by that filly in two stakes this season. Her lone win in 14 starts over the past two seasons came when she romped over a sloppy track in a third-level $25,000 optional claimer Sept. 26.
Blazing Bling, by Too Much Bling
Last 3 Beyers: 64-62-57
◗ She won the 2014 Diana but has been no match for Justalittlesmoke the five times they have met since September 2015. Although a 10-time winner from 39 starts, she hasn’t been better than fourth in her last four stakes appearances.