Proctor's Ledge Seeks Grade 1 Glory in Diana

La Coronel. New Money Honey. Daddys Lil Darling. Dream Dancing. Off Limits. Victory to Victory.

The aforementioned is a sample of the grade 1 winners Proctor's Ledge has beaten on the square or finished ahead of in her 13 starts. She also boasts an undefeated record at Saratoga Race Course and, aside from a couple weird outings at Keeneland, hasn't been worse than fourth in 10 tries against graded company.

Her admittedly biased trainer, Brendan Walsh, believes the daughter of Ghostzapper  to be "a superstar," and her list of vanquished and graded scores doesn't exactly dispute that. What has kept Proctor's Ledge and her top-level potential from being mentioned among the elite, however, is the absence of a grade 1 victory.

"She really doesn't get the credit that she deserves. She's hard-knocking, and she's taken on all those very, very good fillies, and I'm sure there aren't too many of them she hasn't beaten at one point or another," Walsh said. "Maybe if she got one this time, people would stand up and pay attention."

Patricia Moseley's homebred filly gets her latest chance to snatch the spotlight July 21 when she faces the usual Chad Brown-trained arsenal and three other worthy rivals in the $500,000 Diana Stakes (G1T) at Saratoga Race Course.

There's been so much depth in the female turf ranks in recent years that even exceptionally talented runners get cast in the shadows. Proctor's Ledge has been right there with the best of a division that has taken turns beating up one another this season.

It was last summer at Saratoga when Proctor's Ledge hit a different level in her form, capturing both the Lake George (G3T) and Lake Placid Stakes (G2T). While she hasn't particularly cared for Keeneland—finishing eighth in both the 2017 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes presented by Lane's End (G1T) and this year's Coolmore Jenny Wiley Stakes (G1T)—she has shown aptitude pretty much everywhere else.

Two starts after getting beat a head by Fourstar Crook in the March 10 Hillsborough Stakes (G2T) at Tampa Bay Downs, Proctor's Ledge captured the Longines Churchill Distaff Turf Mile Stakes (G2T) by a half-length over On Leave. In the June 9 Longines Just a Game Stakes (G1T) at Belmont Park, she finished second by three-quarters of a length to likely Diana favorite A Raving Beauty.

"She's a better filly this year, I think," Walsh said. "We always thought she'd be better as a 4-year-old. The other thing is, she gave a lot of weight away last time at Belmont, too (carrying a high weight of 123 pounds compared to 117 for A Raving Beauty). She gave everyone weight in that race, and it was a substantial amount of weight, so she's got a bit of a turn back this time.

"She just seems to love it up there (in Saratoga). She got up there on Sunday, and she just does well up there for whatever reason. She's a great filly and we love her, and nothing would make us happier than to see her win at Saratoga on Saturday."

To say the least, Proctor's Ledge is well-acquainted with the Diana's expected top contenders.

Since coming to North America and joining Brown's heralded stable, A Raving Beauty has made a case to become her trainer's latest queen of the turf. The 5-year-old daughter of Mastercraftsman is 2-for-2 stateside, winning the May 12 Beaugay Stakes (G3T) by three lengths and inching clear in late stretch during her Just a Game victory.

"She's been a work in progress since she came over," Brown said of A Raving Beauty, who was purchased by Mandore International Agency for $264,915 at the 2017 Arqana December Breeding Stock Sale after making 17 starts in Europe. "She has improved rapidly. She has become real good, real fast. A fine addition to the barn. We're so lucky to have her."

A Raving Beauty is one of three entrants Brown has for the Diana. She will be joined in the starting gate by fellow grade 1 heroines New Money Honey and Sistercharlie.

New Money Honey, winner of the 2016 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) and 2017 Belmont Oaks Invitational Stakes (G1T), won an allowance race at Belmont Park June 21 in her first start since running fourth in the American Oaks (G1T) Dec. 30. Sistercharlie, who went to the sidelines with a case of pneumonia after finishing second in the Belmont Oaks last year, captured the Jenny Wiley in her season debut and was second to stablemate Fourstar Crook in the June 8 New York Stakes Presented by NYRA Bets (G2T).

The Graham Motion-trained Ultra Brat enters the Diana off a win in the Gallorette Stakes (G3T) May 19, and multiple grade 1-placed Hawksmoor seeks her first win since taking last year's New York Stakes.

"I think there is just a fantastic bunch of fillies this year," Walsh said. "There are five or six of them where if you ran them against each other 10 times, you'd get a different result each time. It's a stacked division, really.

"You just hope you get the luck that you come out on top."

Entries: Diana S. (G1T)

Saratoga Race Course, Saturday, July 21, 2018, Race 10

• Grade IT
• 1 1/8m
• Turf
• $500,000
• 3 yo's & up Fillies and Mares
• 6:18 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Sistercharlie (IRE)	John R. Velazquez	122	Chad C. Brown	9/5
2	2Proctor's Ledge (KY)	Jose L. Ortiz	120	Brendan P. Walsh	4/1
3	3New Money Honey (KY)	Javier Castellano	122	Chad C. Brown	8/1
4	4War Canoe (NY)	Dylan Davis	116	Gary C. Contessa	50/1
5	5Ultra Brat (KY)	Joel Rosario	118	H. Graham Motion	8/1
6	6A Raving Beauty (GER)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	122	Chad C. Brown	2/1
7	7Hawksmoor (IRE)	Julien R. Leparoux	118	Arnaud Delacour	6/1