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Just a Game top-three square off in Diana PROVISO (GB) (Dansili [GB]), PHOLA (Johannesburg) and MY PRINCESS JESS (Stormy Atlantic) finished in that precise order in the June 5 Just a Game S. (G1) at Belmont Park and will renew their rivalry on Saturday in the $500,000 Diana S. (G1) at Saratoga. A half-length and a neck was all that separated the three high-class fillies on the wire, which could prove detrimental to Proviso considering she'll be stretching out an extra eighth of a mile in the nine-furlong Diana. Proviso has already made a mark for herself since coming stateside last fall. The bay finished first in her U.S. bow, the Spinster S. (G1) over Keeneland's Polytrack, last October while running under the tutelage of the late-great Bobby Frankel. Unfortunately, she was disqualified and placed second for racing a bit greenly in the stretch, and closed out her four-year-old season with a game fourth in the Breeders' Cup Ladies' Classic (G1) on Santa Anita's Pro-Ride. Both of those events came at Saturday's distance of 1 1/8 miles, and she actually held a brief lead in the Breeders' Cup before falling back 6 1/4 lengths behind the winner on the wire. Proviso has taken a stall in trainer Bill Mott's shedrow this season, cutting back to seven furlongs to run second in the Santa Monica H. (G1), and then seemed to find the perfect distance in a mile and the perfect surface on turf when beating the boys in the Frank E. Kilroe Mile H. (G1). She stayed under those conditions to add the Just a Game to her line last out, and keeps Mike Smith aboard for this one. Phola had a three-race win streak broken when second in the Just a Game, annexing an allowance, the Hillsborough S. (G3) and the Churchill Distaff Turf Mile S. (G3), all over different tracks. The one thing that remained the same was Ramon Dominguez holding the reins, and that jock will take a seat on the Todd Pletcher trainee once again Saturday. Phola was rallying strongly at the end of the Just a Game and could utilize the extra distance here to turn the tables on Proviso. Considering she hadn't won since taking the Beaugay S. (G3) in May of 2009, MY PRINCESS JESS (Stormy Atlantic) was a bit of surprise at the end of the Just a Game, though she was filling the same spot as in her 2009 run. The Barclay Tagg mare would go on last season to finish fifth by only 2 1/2 lengths in the Diana, so she could continue offering valuable surprises here. Cornelio Velasquez has the call. Those three aren't the only viable candidates in the Diana. Champion FOREVER TOGETHER (Belong to Me) has taken the last two runnings of the race and will be going for her third such victory for Hall of Fame trainer Jonathan Sheppard. The six-year-old veteran hasn't actually won since last year's Diana, but she's been close in her five races since, including a pair of half-length seconds in the Jenny Wiley S. (G2) and Gamely S. (G1) in her past pair. Julien Leparoux was out of action when the Gamely was run, recovering from injuries suffered in a May 14 spill, but will take back the mount for the Diana. SHARED ACCOUNT (Pleasantly Perfect) and DYNASLEW (Dynaformer), one-two in the All Along S. (G3) out, and recent Miss Liberty S. winner MARAM (Sahm) round out the field.
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