Mean Mary sets sights on Diana after New York Stakes win

ELMONT, N.Y. – Trainer Graham Motion may have found his Diana horse in Mean Mary.

Mean Mary recorded her fourth consecutive victory by taking Saturday’s Grade 2, $250,000 New York Stakes by 5 1/4 lengths. After getting away with a relatively easy pace, she powered home her last quarter in 22.64 seconds under Luis Saez. She earned a career-best 101 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She just galloped them into the ground,” Motion said. “She really has a high cruising speed. It looked kind of effortless for her.”

Mean Mary added the New York, at 1 1/4 miles, to graded stakes victories in the Orchid at 1 3/8 miles and the La Prevoyante at 1 1/2 miles. She began her win streak with an allowance win at 1 1/8 miles, which is the distance of the Diana.

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Motion had mentioned the Grade 3, $150,000 Waya Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on Aug. 8 as a possible start, but said that race “doesn’t get me to where I want to go. I’d like to go to the Breeders’ Cup.”

The $2 million Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf on Nov. 7 at Keeneland is run at 1 3/16 miles.

Motion said his “gut is the Diana” on Aug. 23 at Saratoga. “It’s a long way off, but I’d like to have her fresh for the fall.”

Motion has finished second in the Diana five times.