My Typhoon Rolls Into Breeders' Cup

Live Oak Plantation's My Typhoon reached the end of her long quest for a grade I victory when she captured the $520,000 Diana Stakes (VIDEO) Saturday at Saratoga.

The Irish-bred 5-year-old mare also locked up a start in the Emirates Airline Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) at Monmouth Park Oct. 27 under the new Breeders'  Cup Challenge "When and You're In" scheme. The daughter of Giant's Causeway  --Urban Sea (Miswaki), a half-sister to the great Galileo, won her third successive race for trainer Bill Mott.

Ridden by Eddie Castro, My Typhoon got the first jump on her major rivals on the final turn of the 1 1/8-mile Diana, a race in which she finished fourth last year after setting the pace. She opened up a clear advantage in the lane and held off Argentina, rallying along the hedge under right-handed urging in the final furlong to win by three quarters of a length. Makderah, the 6-5 choice in the field of eight, also closed to take third, a half-length farther behind. The winning time was 1:46 2/5 on firm going. The first three finishers are Irish breds.

"At the half-mile pole, I started to ask her and she came with a real strong finish," Castro said. "I knew the horse was inside of me, but my horse is a fighter. She’s a very nice horse.”    

My Typhoon stalked the pacesetter Countess Scala, entered by trainer Patrick Biancone as a rabbit for his two other contenders Danzon and Mauralakana, before striking the front with a surprisingly quick turn of foot. Posted fractions were :21 2/5, :47 4/5 and 1:11 2/5.

Mott, who won his third straight Diana, credited Castro with getting the headstrong My Typhoon to relax slightly off the pace.

"It looked like they were going to run into her at the quarter-pole," he said. "At the eighth-pole, she gave it another little spurt and said `See you later.’ She’s in good form right now and, hopefully, that will continue for the rest of the year. Obviously, she has to stay healthy, but it is good to have a ticket (to the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf). This was the race that we wanted to win. Everything else from here is gravy.”

Mott won the Diana in 2005 with Sand Springs and last year with Angara.

The chestnut My Typhoon, a $2.8 million weanling, was headed for the breeding shed this year before Live Oak changed direction and brought her back for her 5-year-old season. She returned with a second-place in the Hillsborough (gr. IIT) at Tampa Bay Downs in March, then won the Jenny Wiley (gr. IIT) at Keeneland April 9. She has been off since capturing the Just a Game (gr. IIT) by nearly four lengths at Belmont Park June 9.

It was just the second win for My Typhoon at the nine-furlong distance in eight tries, but she has won three of her five starts on the Saratoga lawn. Overall, she has a 9-3-3 mark in 19 starts with earnings of $1,303,361. She earned $300,000 Saturday.

Sent off as the second choice, My Typhoon carried co-high weight of 120 pounds and paid $8.10, $4.70, and $2.80. Argentina, off since October for trainer Bobby Frankel, turned in a an encouraging comeback to return $7.60 and $3.90. Makderah, strongly favored at 6-5 odds off a four-length victory in the New York Handicap (gr. IIT) at Belmont June 23, was $2.40 to show.

“There were no excuses," trainer Kiaran McLaughlin said of the favorite. "We were in good position to try and make her run, and we were out-run in the end.”

Meribel finished fourth, followed by Danzon, Mauralakana, Magnificent Song, and Countess Scala.

(Chart, Equibase)