Miranda Diane more than just healthy
Last fall, it looked like Miranda Diane's racing days might be over after a severe bout with colic. But this spring, it has been business as usual for her at Will Rogers Downs near Tulsa, Okla. Miranda Diane has compiled a 6-for-7 record at the track, and on Saturday will be a strong favorite to defend her title in the $50,000 Cherokee Casino Classic.
The six-furlong race is one of two on the program for horses bred in Oklahoma. The other is the $50,000 Oklahoma Thoroughbred Association Classic.
Miranda Diane won the Cherokee Casino, which is for fillies and mares, by more than eight lengths last May. But come the fall, it did not look like she would make another season at Will Rogers. Trainer Shane Seaton said Miranda Diane had to spend a week in a veterinary clinic because of colic after her seventh-place finish in the $50,000 Flashy Lady at Remington Park on Oct. 10.
"We weren't sure if she would ever race again," he said.
But now Miranda Diane is back, and has won two of her three starts since the illness. She made her comeback in a March 27 allowance at Will Rogers and finished second by a half-length. One start later, Miranda Diane won a local allowance by a length, covering six furlongs in 1:08.60. From there, she romped by more than five lengths in the $50,000 Wilma Mankiller at Will Rogers on May 1.
"The part I liked about her last race is that she sat there until they turned for home and then opened up on them," Seaton said. "This mare's really matured this year, not had to go all out the whole way. She'll sit and relax and make her run. It's her 5-year-old year, and she's relaxing a little more."
The Wilma Mankiller came in the slop, and Seaton said he wouldn't mind if rain hit Saturday.
"She just glides through the mud," he said. "There's a 50 percent chance of rain. I'm praying for rain."
But Miranda Diane is just as capable on a fast track, as evidenced by her quick allowance win in April.
Nena Matz has the mount for B and S Racing.
Matz will also ride Fifth Date in the OTA Classic. He will be moving back to the statebred ranks after defeating open company in the $50,000 Route 66 at Will Rogers on May 1. He races for his trainer, Larry Brown.