Parisian Diva has golden opportunity in Eleanor Casey Memorial

With Charles Town’s top 2-year-old filly Battleground Star absent from the $50,000 Eleanor Casey Memorial on Saturday, Parisian Diva has an excellent chance to wrap up her 2-year-old campaign with a stakes win. The Casey Memorial is the final stakes of the Charles Town season, which continues through Dec. 29.

A daughter of Freedom Child bred and owned by Melinda Golden, Parisian Diva has chased undefeated Battleground Star in her last two starts, finishing third in the Triple Crown Nutrition Breeders Classic and second in the Rachel’s Turn Stakes.

Trained by Stacey Viands, Parisian Diva began her career with a 7 1/4-length victory. The 58 Beyer Speed Figure she earned in that win is the highest in the field by seven points.

Although Parisian Diva rallied wide from sixth in the Breeders Classic, she does have early speed and will likely be closer to the pace in the Casey Memorial, a seven-furlong race for West Virginia-bred 2-year-old fillies.

Jeff Runco trains 3-for-3 Battleground Star and has an able replacement in Grace Elizabeth, a 2 1/2-length maiden winner eight days ago. Despite being floated four wide into the first turn that night, she finished well before being taken in hand late by leading rider Arnaldo Bocachica. Her 51 Beyer is the second-highest figure in Saturday’s race.

Thislillimeofmine has raced well in each of her three starts. Trained by Javier Contreras, Thislillimeofmine was second in her debut, then finished third in the Rachel’s Turn, a neck behind Parisian Diva. She scored a one-length maiden victory in early November.

The Casey Memorial will be Thislillimeofmine’s first start beyond 4 1/2 furlongs, and she will have to navigate a second turn for the first time.

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Flatter Me Owen battled with Grace Elizabeth on the second turn of Grace Elizabeth’s recent maiden win but had to settle for second. Although still a maiden after six starts, four of Flatter Me Owen’s races have come against open company in Maryland and Delaware.

Owner-trainer James W. Casey will be represented by the longshot Charitable Rose. The Casey Memorial is named for his wife, who died in 2005 following a morning training accident at Charles Town.

James Casey sent out the first- and second-place finishers in last year’s race – Bound to Windsor and B’s Wild Cork – and Casey’s son John finished third with Imagoodchatterbug. James Casey also won the race in 2012 with Queen’o’daball.