Flying Elvis Stable’s Diplomat made the most of an 18-pound weight break from 2-1 favorite Modem and surprised Thursday’s $150,000 New York Turf Writers Cup (NSA-G1) at Saratoga.
Trained by Kate Dalton and ridden by her husband, Bernard, the 17-1 Diplomat was anchored at the rear of the main body of the field for most of the way. Only the detached Three Kingdoms was behind him.
When Modem commenced his move on the final passage around the far turn, Diplomat followed the favorite and accosted him in the homestretch. Modem couldn’t offer more under the top weight of 156 pounds, and Diplomat spurted clear as one of the lighter weights at 138. The Kitten’s Joy gelding crossed the wire a three-length winner while negotiating 2 3/8 miles over the fences in 4:29.90 on the firm course.
Modem held second from All the Way Jose, who was prominent throughout. Choral Society checked in fourth, followed by Swansea Mile, Show Court, Mr. Hot Stuff, Casino Markets, and eased pacesetter Alcazar de Maram. Three Kingdoms wasn’t assigned a finishing position on the chart, but the chartcaller reported that he did complete the course.
Bred by Ken and Sarah Ramsey in Kentucky, Diplomat began his career with Dermot Weld in Ireland. He won twice on the Flat but ultimately switched to hurdles, again winning a pair of races before being repatriated ahead of his 2015 campaign.
After scoring first time out in Camden’s Carolina Cup Hurdle, Diplomat was unplaced in such major contests as the A.P. Smithwick (NSA-G1), Lonesome Glory (NSA-G1) and Colonial Cup (NSA-G1), but he did romp in that season’s Zeke Ferguson Memorial (NSAG3) in course-record time. He raced just twice in 2016, finishing fifth when defending his Ferguson title and fell (but walked off) in the Colonial Cup. The eight-year-old rounded back into form this summer, being awarded the victory via disqualification in a 1 1/2-mile Parx allowance prior to a distant third in the Smithwick last time out at the Spa.
Quotes from Saratoga
Winning rider Bernard Dalton on Diplomat: “It’s great my wife trains the horse, I ride him most days at home. He surprised me how easily he actually did it. He traveled all the way, I followed Modem through most of the race and at the top of the way when I pulled him out and asked him to go, he just quickened right up and came and won. The horse is all the run. I just steer.”
Winning trainer Kate Dalton: “We’re very pleased. We were hemming and hawing about blinkers on, blinkers off, and finally Bernie and I decided on Monday that we should definitely take them off. It seemed like there was going to be a lot of pace in the race to run at and we were thinking that we wanted to sit him in a little bit more this time and try to come with a run. I guess it worked out.
“He’s a really genuine horse. He’s a lovely horse and he tries all the time as hard as he can, but he’s not very big. He’s had a lot of weight ups and downs so having 138 pounds on him today was a real advantage.”
