Lady Orchid can take advantage of quick pace in Miranda Diane Stakes

Comebacking Lady Orchid could get the ideal pace setup Monday when she returns to action in the $55,000 Miranda Diane at Will Rogers Downs in Claremore, Okla.

There is no shortage of speed in the six-furlong race for fillies and mares bred in Oklahoma, which drew a field of eight.

Lady Orchid is making her first start since a Nov. 11 allowance win over open company at Remington Park. She closed from off the pace in the mile race, the same tactics she’s used winning both sprint and route races.

Lady Orchid, who is a three-time stakes winner, is launching her 5-year-old season with a series of five-eighths works at Will Rogers. Her trainer, Francisco Bravo, wins at a strong 18 percent rate with horses returning from layoffs of 60 to 180 days, according to statistics from Daily Racing Form.

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Lady Orchid has had success off the bench, once winning a division of the Oklahoma Stallion Stakes at Remington Park off a near five-month layoff. Floyd Wethey Jr. has the mount on Lady Orchid, a daughter of Oratory who races for her breeder, Lori Bravo.

Lady Orchid could settle off Casino Queen, Pretty Britches, and Sweet Mary M, who all could contribute to the pace. Casino Queen won a first-level allowance on the front end April 13 at Will Rogers. The start came at 5 1/2 furlongs, and she figures to be prominent again at six furlongs. Garrett Steinberg has the mount from the rail for trainer Kenneth Nolen.

Pretty Britches comes off a front-running six-furlong allowance win at Will Rogers on March 22. Alfredo Triana Jr. has the mount from post 3 for trainer Karl Broberg. Pretty Britches is 6 for 11 at Will Rogers.

Sweet Mary M was a wire-to-wire allowance winner on April 5 at Will Rogers. Leandro Goncalves has the mount from post 7 for trainer Kari Craddock.

If the fractions are hot, it could also benefit the Ray Ashford Jr. trainees Dipping In and Country Daisy. Both have been effective from off the pace and will be making their second starts off a layoff. Gustavo Herrara has the mount on Dipping In, while Curtis Kimes rides Country Daisy.

Country Daisy comes off a fifth-place finish to the quick Raintree Starlet in the $50,000 Wilma Mankiller on April 12 at Will Rogers. She is now back with Oklahoma-breds. Country Daisy is 3 for 6 at Will Rogers.