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Diplomat Lady eyes Prioress Grade 1 heroine DIPLOMAT LADY (Forestry) turned in a smashing performance when capturing the Beaumont S. (G2) two starts back, her lone attempt sprinting this season. She's failed to hit the board in her other three starts around two turns, including a 13th in the 1 1/8-mile Kentucky Oaks (G1) last out, and trainer Christopher Paasch will cut her back in distance to six furlongs for Saturday's $250,000 Prioress S. (G1) at Belmont Park. "We went back to square one with her (following the Oaks) and just went easy on her for a few weeks," Paasch said. "We've gotten her back into the six-furlong mindset with her training and have put more speed into her. She's a Grade 1 winner going long, but we plan on leaving her in one-turn races for the summer and maybe most of the fall." Diplomat Lady heads a field of nine sophomore fillies entered to the Prioress, and Cornelio Velasquez will ride the speedy lass. CAPOTE'S CROWN (Capote), a half-sister to champion sprinter Smoke Glacken and Grade 2 winner Smokey Glacken (Forestry), will return to the graded ranks on Saturday. The Kiaran McLaughlin runner finished second in the Tempted S. (G3) last October, but she started out this year against allowance rivals in Florida. Following a 6 1/4-length score in an allowance/optional claiming event two starts back at Belmont, she stepped up to easily capture the June 9 Queen of Song S. over Swap Fliparoo (Exchange Rate), who came back to record an excellent second in the Genuine Risk Breeders' Cup H. (G2) on Monday. Jockey Kent Desormeaux is excited about Capote's Crown's chances. "I love her," Desormeaux commented. "She's trained to the minute right now and Kiaran's got her seeing fire." Other contenders include WIN MCCOOL (Giant's Causeway), a half-sister to Grade 1 queen Harmony Lodge who romped to an easy allowance score last time out following a second in the Nassau County Breeders' Cup S. (G2); Miss Preakness S. (G3) winner WILDCAT BETTIE B (Meadowlake); and Grade 3 victress MISTY ROSETTE (Stormin Fever), who will make her first appearance since finishing third in March's Forward Gal S. (G2). Stakes winner SILVESTRIS (Forest Wildcat) will lead the post parade under a 118-pound impost that includes jockey Eibar Coa. Next comes Misty Rosette, Garrett Gomez, 120; WILD GAMS (Forest Wildcat), Mike Luzzi, 120; Wildcat Bettie B, Mario Pino, 120; Capote's Crown, 118; DOWNTHEDUSTYROAD (Storm and a Half), Mike Smith, 116; Diplomat Lady, 122; LIVERMORE VALLEY (Mt. Livermore), Javier Castellano, 118; and Win McCool, Richard Migliore, 116.
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