Lady Eli, Dickinson face off again in Diana

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Only three horses have beaten Lady Eli in her brilliant 11-race career. One of those horses, Dickinson, will be Lady Eli’s chief nemesis in Saturday’s $500,000 Diana Stakes, the first Grade 1 of the Saratoga meet.

Dickinson, trained by Kiaran McLaughlin for Godolphin Racing, defeated Lady Eli by a head in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland in April. For Dickinson, it was her fourth start of the year. For Lady Eli it was her first.

“The troubled trip that we had might have worked out to our advantage because Lady Eli is always coming to get a horse and we got stopped and came and got her,” McLaughlin said.

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Coming out of the Jenny Wiley, Dickinson ran in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont, where she finished third behind Antonoe, to whom Dickinson was giving eight pounds. Saturday, Dickinson is on level weights with Antonoe while getting two pounds from Lady Eli.

Dickinson, a daughter of Medaglia d’Oro, is 2 for 2 at the Diana distance of 1 1/8 miles. She will break from post 6 under Paco Lopez.

After getting beat in the Jenny Wiley, Lady Eli came back to win the Grade 1 Gamely Stakes at Santa Anita. She had to lay closer to the pace than usual due to the lack of speed in the race. The same scenario could present itself on Saturday.

Lady Eli breaks from post 3 under Irad Ortiz Jr.

Harmonize, My Impression, and Quidura complete the Diana field.