Whitebeam defends her Diana crown

In the first Grade 1 of the 2024 Saratoga meet (Saturday 13th July), homebred Whitebeam repeated in the Diana Stakes, giving trainer Chad Brown a record ninth win in the race and eighth in the last nine years.

Taken from the Thoroughbred Daily News, 14th July 2024:

The win also marked Chad Brown's 150th career Grade 1 win. Canada's 2022 Horse of the Year and Queen's Plate winner Moira was second, while multiple Grade 1 winner Gina Romantica finished third. In a textbook front-running ride from Flavien Prat, Whitebeam lulled them to sleep on the front end, cruising effortlessly to the front while under a snug hold through :24.26 and :49.49 fractions. The field of nine others, including four Brown stablemates, spread out neatly behind her with a mere 10 lengths or so covering the field. The tempo quickened as they turned for home, but Whitebeam had plenty left and held her ground as a tracking Evvie Jets and Didia gave way to Moira and Gina Romantica.

"Very proud of her effort today," said Prat. "Everything went well the first part of the race and when I squeezed her, she was there for me. Nothing more you can ask for. She is one of the best mares in the country and it was great."

First trained across the Atlantic by Harry and Roger Charlton, Whitebeam was second in a Listed stakes at three before shipping stateside to Brown's barn for her four-year-old campaign. Winless since last year's Diana, which had followed a Gr.3 Gallorette Stakes victory, Whitebeam was kept in training this year and was first seen in May with a second to re-opposing Neecie Marie in the Gr.3 Beaugay Stakes and then another runner-up finish, this one to stablemate Chili Flag, in the Gr.1 Just A Game Stakes on 7th June. Every single U.S. start for Whitebeam has netted a Beyer Speed Figure in the 90s or higher, including a triple-digit number in last year's Diana.

"It means a lot to me. It means a lot to my team," said Brown about winning the Diana for a record ninth time. "There's a very short list of races when I left [as assistant to Bobby] Frankel that it was just instilled in me that he held in high regard and pointed towards. The Diana was way up on that list. For him to hold it in high regard, it really must have meant something."