Looking toward next Saturday’s Grade 1 Diana is Live Oak
Plantation’s Dynaslew, who enters the race with two wins and one second
place finish from three starts this year. The 1 1/8th-mile Diana
will be the 4-year-old Dynaformer filly’s first start in Grade 1 company and
she is expected to face a tough field including 2008 Champion Turf Female Forever
Together – the winner of back-to-back editions of the Diana in 2008 and
2009 - as well as the 1-2-3 finishers from the Grade 1 Just a Game; Proviso,
Phola and My Princess Jess.
“I think that Dynaformers tend to just mature later in life
and the difference in her maturity between ages three and four has just brought
her game to another level,” said trainer Seth Benzel. “Forever Together,
Proviso, Phola – I consider those horses to be the cream of the crop and this
will be a good test for her, but I think she’s ready to run against those types
of horses.”
Dynaslew, winner of the Grade 3 Beaugay at Belmont Park
on May 1 and runner up in the Grade 3 All Along at Colonial Downs on June 19,
worked a half-mile over the Saratoga
training track in 50.25 on Thursday.
“We don’t ask her to extend herself too much in the
morning,” said Benzel. “It was a maintenance breeze.”
Eibar Coa, aboard Dynaslew for her win in the Beaugay, also
has the call for the Diana, Benzel said.