Wellabled, Diadura Turn Heads at Arlington

The focus turned to juvenile racing at Arlington International Racecourse Sept. 10 with Wellabled sailing over the Polytrack to earn his first stakes score in the Arlington-Washington Futurity (gr. III) and Diadura rolling to her first black-type with a win in the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes.

Apparently not in the mood for drama after finishing a close second in his stakes debut in the Skidmore Aug. 19 sprinting on the Saratoga Race Course turf, Carolyn Wilson’s Wellabled drew off in the stretch under mild urging from E.T. Baird to score by 7 3/4 lengths Saturday. 

The easy victory makes Wellabled the first black-type stakes winner for freshman sire Shackleford  , winner of the 2011 Preakness Stakes (gr. I). Three-time grade I winner Shackleford stood the 2016 season for $20,000 at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington.

Wellabled, the 3-2 favorite, led every step in the seven-furlong Arlington-Washington, going a quarter-mile in :23:42 and half-mile in :46.08 before drawing away to complete the race in 1:24.70. Romeo O Romeo finished second, edging third-place Star Empire by a head.

“The sky’s the limit for this horse,” said winning trainer Larry Rivelli. “I’m not so sure about other surfaces. I took him to Saratoga and worked him on the dirt a couple of times and he didn’t seem to like it. That’s why I chose to run him on the turf. His breeding suggests he’ll run long.”

Bred in Kentucky by PTS Ranch, Wellabled is the first starter out of the winning In Excess mare Expressive Diva, a half sister to grade I winner Ringaskiddy. Wellabled sold as a weanling, yearling, and 2-year-old, going this year for $340,000 to his current owner at the Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. spring sale of 2-year-olds from consignor Wavertree Stables (Ciaran Dunne), agent.

After racing in ninth early in the seven-furlong Lassie, Empyrean Stables and Two Princesses’ Diadura also put on a show in the stretch, drawing off under Carlos Marquez Jr. to post a 5 1/2-length victory.

Diadura improved to two wins in as many starts, as the daughter of Hard Spun   entered off a maiden score Aug. 5 at Arlington. Trained by Michael Stidham, Diadura completed Saturday’s race in 1:25.10.

“I think the sky’s the limit for her. She’s very, very talented, as you can see,” Stidham said. “She’s shown that today. She’s shown that in the mornings and she shows up in the afternoon, so we’re hoping for big things.”

Rounding out the top places were Benner Island second and R Naja third.

Bred in Florida by Inversiones Fl, Diadura is out of stakes-winning Five Star Day mare Daytime Promise. Empyrean Stables landed Diadura for $50,000 at last year’s Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co. August yearling sale from the consignment of Northwest Stud, agent.