Meadowlands: Blue Diamond Eyes sparkles in Three Diamonds

Blue Diamond Eyes picked up the lion's share of the $323,600 purse in the Three Diamonds for 2-year-old pacing fillies on Saturday night at the Meadowlands, scoring in 1:51 1/5 for David Miller and Ron Burke, both of whom went over the $250 million mark in career earnings during the program.

Lindy At The Beach (Todd McCarthy) hustled away from post five and had early control, but Notorious Pink (Tim Tetrick) pushed on two-wide to take charge at the 27 3/5 opening quarter, but Blue Diamond Eyes and Miller) bypassed tucks, too, and she surged into the top spot past that marker.

Miller was able to back down the tempo to just 56 seconds at the half, and that gave Blue Diamond Eyes plenty of energy left to deal with a first-over bid from favorite Fire Start Hanover (Dexter Dunn) around the far turn and over to the 1:23 3/5 three-quarters.

Fire Start Hanover began to back away in the lane as Blue Diamond Eyes poured it on, and though Notorious Pink had dead-aim after tipping out, she couldn't make any headway either as Blue Diamond Eyes stayed in front on her way to winning by a length and a half. Notorious Pink did end up second, with Thebeachiscalling (Andrew McCarthy) closing for third. Lindy At The Beach and Off The Record (Corey Callahan) completed the top five.

"I figured someone on the outside would leave, and I just wanted to get away in a good spot. I didn't want to get away in the three-hole behind Lindy At The Beach, so I kept pressing, and the fractions weren't hot at all - 27 3/5, 56, I felt pretty good then," stated Miller. "She got a little off like during the Breeders Crown, and then she had a little bit of time off. Last week I raced her, and I told Ronnie 'she felt really good again.' Tonight, we were right. We guessed right for a change."

A daughter of Captaintreacherous, Blue Diamond Eyes is trained by Burke for owners Thomas and Scott Dillon. Bred by Brittany Farms LLC., Blue Diamond Eyes was a $180,000 buy at last year's Lexington Selected Yearling Sale and is the second foal out of the Well Said mare Aria Hanover (1:53 1/5, $130,136), making her a full sister to Captain Kirk (1:48 3/5, $265,880). Blue Diamond Eyes has five wins from 13 efforts, has banked $554,617, and returned $11.40 to win as a 9-2 shot.

"It's really where she turned her whole year around was in the Kentucky Sires Stakes. She went down, and she re-found herself. Then she came back and won the (Pennsylvania Sire Stakes) final, and she won the final down there," remarked Burke. "Even in the Breeders Crown, we couldn't get her in the right spots. David's done a great job with her. Last week he said, 'she's ready for a big effort.' He said, 'we'll give it to her this week,' like we're going to just put her on the front and make them come beat her. He was very right. I knew when they went into the last turn, I'm like 'they're going to have to pace hard to get around her' because she'll fight once she gets the lead.

"The last couple years I started training for (the Dillons). Tom is like, pretty much when he decides he's going to buy one, he's going to buy one. He paid plenty for this filly, but I'm thrilled for them. It's the first real good one we've had for them. They're the nicest people. They're nothing but class all the time. They're gracious losers and gracious winners, so I can't say enough about them."