Friday’s $750,000 New York (G1) came up terrifically deep on paper, but Didia looked in a different league when driving to her first U.S. Grade 1 victory. The Ignacio Correas IV mare had the gears to work out a fine trip with Jose Ortiz and deliver the coup de grace in the stretch at Saratoga. Neecie Marie closed well for second, and War Like Goddess likewise did her best work late in a comeback third.
Merriebelle Stables and Resolute Racing’s Didia had been a champion in her native Argentina, where she was a two-time Group 1 winner. The daughter of Orpen placed twice at the top level stateside. Second in last year’s paceless New York at Belmont Park, she was most recently a slightly disappointing third in the First Lady (G1). Thus Didia was a 9.30-1 overlay in the New York, as bettors piled on 1.45-1 favorite English Rose, the runner-up in the First Lady.
Correas believed that Didia wasn’t in love with the Keeneland turf that day, since the course was labeled good with residual moisture. The forecast at Saratoga must have been a cause for concern, but the rain did not develop enough to affect the course.
“I was so happy when the rain held,” Correas said. “When It didn’t rain yesterday, I thought ‘OK.’ Then when it started raining today, I looked at the weather and said we’re going to be OK.”
On her best form, Didia was a prime threat as the winner of the Jan. 27 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G2) as well as last year’s Modesty (G3) and Rodeo Drive (G2). Friday’s conditions, plus a favorable set-up, enabled Didia to rebound with a vengeance.
Didia broke beautifully from post 3 and settled into a ground-saving fourth. The speed came from the outside, as Royalty Interest scampered forward, and Surprisingly chased through fractions of :23.18, :47.74, and 1:11.92. Surprisingly pounced at the top of the stretch, but by that point, Didia had angled out to deploy her stellar turn of foot.
Sweeping to the fore, Didia finished 1 3/16 miles on the firm course in 1:52.29 and rewarded her loyalists with $20.60.
“Beautiful” was how Ortiz summed up his trip. “Broke good, put me into a great position, just how we planned it, and I just tried to go out there and execute the plan. Everything worked out perfectly. Once in a lifetime trip right there.
“I covered up. She relaxed well in the pocket. Whenever I wanted to go out, she was ready for it.
“It was just what you want to feel,” Ortiz added of her acceleration, “when you are sitting chilly behind the speed. I mean an amazing kick. That is what you need to win these kinds of races, a horse that gives you that kind of kick.”
Neecie Marie trimmed the gap to 1 1/2 lengths at the wire. War Like Goddess was a traffic-ridden third, another 1 3/4 lengths back.
“I think we didn’t have an ideal trip,” jockey Junior Alvarado said of War Like Goddess. “It was a lot of horses and some horses getting shut off. I ended up behind those horses, and they shuffled me back right in front of my face. I didn’t have a smooth trip out there. Then turning for home, I couldn’t really let her loose. I had nowhere to go until probably the eighth-pole, but it was just too late. If the race were a mile and a half, even with a bad trip, it would have been a different story, for sure.”
Considering that the New York was much shorter than her optimal distance, and not her initially planned comeback spot, War Like Goddess did well to hit the board.
Surprisingly barely salvaged fourth from the churning-on McKulick and a one-paced Fev Rover, who appeared to be working out a good stalking trip early. Next came Aspen Grove, Irish shipper American Sonja, Sparkle Blue, Royalty Interest, Star Fortress, English Rose, and Be Your Best.
English Rose’s rider, William Buick, was never happy with how the race unfolded.
“She was a bit restless in the gate and jumped a step slow,” Buick recapped. “I didn’t get to where I wanted to be, but I tried to get closer down the back because they weren’t going that quickly. She didn’t run her race.”
Didia, on the other hand, might have run her best race on this continent.
“I think she leveled up her performance today,” Ortiz said. “The trainer, Ignacio, does an amazing job with this horse and all his horses. He had this filly doing unbelievable for a long time, which is remarkable.”
“She was like a monster,” Correas enthused. “It’s a great feeling. I targeted this race for months and months. It was really hard for me to lose this race last year. I never expected to lose it last year. I was disappointed.
“Probably the secret today,” the trainer quipped, “was that Chad (Brown) only had two in there (McKulick and Royalty Interest). Usually he has four!
“She’s an awesome filly. When she was opening up through the stretch I was screaming my lungs out. There is no doubt she’s the best filly I ever trained. I had Blue Prize (the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Distaff [G1] winner) and Dona Bruja.”
Didia sports a mark of 17-11-2-1, $1,533,484. The bay at one point reeled off seven wins in a row, beginning with her major wins in Argentina. Didia extended her skein through her first four U.S. starts including the 2022 Old Nelson S. at Colonial Downs, the 2023 Tom Benson Memorial at Fair Grounds, and the aforementioned Modesty at Churchill Downs. Last year’s New York halted that streak, so it would be a neat bit of symmetry for her to start a new one here.
John Stewart of Resolute Racing acquired a half-interest in Didia prior to the First Lady, in a continuation of his global spending spree. He is already looking forward to adding the six-year-old to his burgeoning broodmare band.
“This is real exciting. I’ve loved Didia since I saw her back in the fall,” Stewart said. “I tried to buy her before the Pegasus. We weren’t successful but kept trying and trying. We were able to cut a deal with the owners and bought in in April. We cut in 50 percent.
“She represents everything that we’re after, which is on the track fillies and mares that will go into our world class breeding stable. We get her at the end of her campaign and we’re pretty excited about that.”
Bred by La Manija in Argentina, Didia is a close relative of several notable performers. She is a full sister to multiple Argentine classic-placed Dedini; Singaporean champion Davide; and Delirada, the dam of Argentine Horse of the Year Tetaze and classic-placed Hacer Un Puente.
Didia was produced by the Brazilian Group 1-placed Delambre, a Rainbow Corner mare from the family of Brazilian champions Pitu da Guanabara and Agasias.
