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Zagora breaks through in Diana

Zagora handed hometown hero Chad Brown his first Grade 1 trophy as a trainer (Jessie Holmes/EquiSport Photos) Martin S. Schwartz's ZAGORA (Fr) (Green Tune) had run well without managing to win in her four prior U.S. starts, and her model citizenship was finally rewarded in Saturday's $500,000 Diana S. (G1) at Saratoga. Under a well-timed ride by Javier Castellano, the Chad Brown trainee drove past Bay to Bay (Sligo Bay [Ire]) in midstretch and was safely clear by the time Aruna (Mr. Greeley) came calling belatedly. Zagora negotiated 1 1/8 miles on the good turf course in 1:49 to earn her first career Grade 1 score. "My mentor, Bobby Frankel, taught me everything I know, especially about European horses," said Brown, who was also celebrating his first Grade 1 win as a trainer. "And this was one of his very favorite races. He loved the Diana, and we won it a couple of times when I worked for him. "She had been knocking on the door and she had been a little unlucky, but one thing Bobby told me was, 'Go back to the European form and see who they were running with. It's a good measure of how much ability they have.'

"She was running with very good horses in Europe, so it was just a matter of time for her to fully acclimate over here, maybe get lucky with a trip, (and) find the ground she liked. Everything came together today."

In the opening stages, 9-5 favorite Unbridled Humor (Distorted Humor) took charge from her inside post and established splits of :25 1/5, :50 1/5 and 1:14. Bay to Bay was poised in second, while Dyna Waltz (GB) (Dynaformer) and Giants Play (Giant's Causeway) comprised the next flight. Zagora was beautifully positioned in fifth, until she began to creep forward on the far turn.

At about the same time, Bay to Bay threw down a stern challenge to Unbridled Humor and struck the front briefly at the top of the stretch. But Zagora was traveling ominously well wider out on the course. Producing a fine burst of speed, Zagora collared Bay to Bay, who knuckled down in a vain attempt to prolong the battle. The winner was far too strong, however, and drew off by 1 1/2 lengths, returning $13.60, $5.90 and $3.60 as the 5-1 fourth choice in the nine-horse field.

"I had a beautiful trip," Castellano said. "She broke a little bit slow, but I tried to rush a little bit, put her in the game and on the first turn, I got my position and that's where I wanted to be. I saved all the ground in the first turn and turning for home I saw horses start backing up a little bit.

"I went around the two front-running horses and when I asked her, it was unbelievable. She's a really small filly, but she's got good heart. When I asked her she took off and she gave me a good kick. I've been watching this filly for a long time, and I really like her."

"Javier did a lot of homework for the race," Brown said. "He watched all her races and we had a plan going in. Plan A was to be laying third in the pocket, but Plan B was, if she really didn't want to be involved, don't push her off the bridle. Just let her settle, and he did that. I thought he saved ground nicely, and instead of moving on the last turn, he waited until he straightened away."

Aruna, who had been held up much farther back in the pack, launched her bid too late to trouble Zagora, but was along in time to overhaul Bay to Bay by a neck for runner-up honors. Mekong Melody (Ire) (Cape Cross [Ire]) closed from last to take fourth, followed by Aviate (GB) (Dansili [GB]), Dyna Waltz, Unbridled Humor, Justaroundmidnight (Ire) (Danehill Dancer) and Giants Play. Romacaca (Running Stag), who would have livened up the early pace, was scratched in favor of Sunday's Matchmaker S. (G3) at Monmouth.

Zagora's breakthrough win advanced her record to 13-5-4-2, $676,522. The chestnut began her career in France, where she captured her first two starts as a juvenile and finished a close fourth in the Prix des Reservoirs (Fr-G3). During her three-year-old campaign in 2010, Zagora scored in the Prix Vanteaux (Fr-G3) and Prix de Psyche (Fr-G3) and missed narrowly when runner-up in the Prix La Camargo and third in the Prix de la Nonette (Fr-G3). Her only unplaced effort last season was a creditable fifth in the Prix de Diane (French Oaks) (Fr-G1).

Making her American debut in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (G1) at Keeneland last fall, Zagora lagged as far as 16 lengths back early, but rallied to grab second. She then stayed stateside and joined Brown. In her reappearance in the March 12 Hillsborough S. (G3) at Tampa Bay Downs, Zagora was outdueled by a neck, and next time out, she was a late-running third in the April 16 Jenny Wiley S. (G2) at Keeneland. She was compromised by a farcical lack of pace in the June 25 New York S. (G2) in her latest venture, and only just failed to catch the loose-on-the-lead Giants Play by a head.

Bred by E. Puerari and Oceanic Bloodstock in France, Zagora brought $139,602 as a yearling at the Arqana August Sale at Deauville. She is out of the unraced Mtoto mare Zaneton, who is also responsible for the French stakes-placed Zanet (Enrique). This is the family of French highweight older sprinter Titus Livius (Fr) (Machiavellian), German One Thousand Guineas (Ger-G2) heroine Briseida (Pivotal), and further back, Grade 1-winning millionaire Tuzla (Fr) (Panoramic [GB]), multiple Group/Grade 1-winning globetrotter Sulamani (Ire) (Hernando [Fr]), dual European classic winner Dream Well (Fr) (Sadler's Wells) and French champion and noted sire *Grey Dawn II (*Herbager).

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