Correas-trained Didia now a G1 winner on two continents

By Mary Eddy, NYRA press office (Coglianese Photography)

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Merriebelle Stable and Resolute Racing’s Keeneland-based Didia scored an elusive American Grade 1 victory with a sparkling 1 1/2-length triumph in Friday’s Grade 1, $750,000 New York presented by Rivers Casino, a 1 3/16-mile Mellon turf test for older fillies and mares, at the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival at Saratoga Race Course. 

Trained by Ignacio Correas IV, Didia is a dual Group 1-winner in her native Argentina, but lacked a win at that level in the states after three attempts, including a second to the Chad Brown-trained Marketsegmentation in this event last year. Now an 11-time winner, Didia finished third in Keeneland’s G1 Jenny Wiley in her first start since winning Gulfstream Park’s G2 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf in late January.

That all changed Friday with a stalking trip engineered by Jose Ortiz, who guided the 6-year-old Orpen bay from off the pace to pounce on the pace set by Royalty Interest and draw off down the lane. 

Correas expressed his satisfaction that his long-term plan for Didia came to fruition in a race that included two entrants for Brown.

“She was like a monster. It’s a great feeling,” Correas, IV said. “I targeted this race for months and months. It was really hard for me to lose this race last year. I never expected to lose it last year. I was disappointed. Probably the secret today was that Chad only had two in there. Usually he has four.”

Didia emerged in good order from post 3-of-13 as Royalty Interest broke sharpest from post 12 and quickly crossed over to the two-path to lead the talented field through splits of 23.18 seconds and 47.74 over the firm footing as Surprisingly stalked in second position with Didia in fourth into the backstretch. 

“Beautiful,” Ortiz said of the trip. “Broke good, put me into a great position, just how we planned it and I just tried to go out there and execute the plan. Everything worked out perfectly. Once in a lifetime trip right there.”

Ortiz held his position comfortably in tandem with Sparkle Blue to their outside before stepping on the gas on the inside and inching up alongside Fev Rover in third position. A stalking Neecie Marie followed their run, gliding up a narrow opening on the rail to loom a threat to the pacesetter’s dwindling lead through three-quarters in 1:11.92. 

The William Buick-piloted English Rose made a wide bid in mid-pack halfway through the far turn to set her sights on the top flight while a determined Surprisingly attempted to sweep past Royalty Interest at the stretch call. Nonetheless, Didia’s turn-of-foot proved far superior to her rivals as she took charge inside the final eighth to put daylight between her and the field. A game Neecie Marie rallied in vain down the center of the course to take second, but Didia was never threatened and crossed the wire first in a final time of 1:52.29.

“It was just what you want to feel when you are sitting chilly behind the speed,” Ortiz said. “I mean an amazing kick. That is what you need to win these kinds of races, a horse that gives you that kind of kick.” 

Multiple Grade 1-winner War Like Goddess made a late move in the stretch to duck inside the fading Surprisingly and land show honors 1 3/4 lengths back of Neecie Marie. Surprisingly held on to round out the superfecta with McKulick, Fev Rover, Aspen Grove, American Sonja – who ran exceptionally wide in the stretch – Sparkle Blue, Royalty Interest, Star Fortress, English Rose and Be Your Best completing the order of finish. 

Ortiz said Correas, IV had Didia prepared to run the race of her life.

“I’ve been working her. I knew she was 110 percent and Nacho, the good thing about him is he doesn’t run his horses if they aren’t 110 percent,” Ortiz said. “This horse he made sure she was 110 percent, and every time she steps on the track, she gives you everything she has.”

Correas, IV has trained several star mares, including Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Distaff-winner Blue Prize and multiple graded stakes-winner Dona Bruja, but the veteran conditioner said Didia is in a class all of her own. 

“She’s an awesome filly. When she was opening up through the stretch I was screaming my lungs out,” said Correas, IV. “There is no doubt she’s the best filly I ever trained.” 

Didia entered from a game third-place finish in the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley, her first outing since an impressive win in the Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly and Mare Turf in January at Gulfstream Park. Her consistent resume includes additional graded wins last year in the Grade 3 Modesty at Churchill Downs and Grade 2 Rodeo Drive at Santa Anita Park, as well as the Listed Tom Benson Memorial last March at Fair Grounds. 

For her New York victory, Didia earned $412,500 and improved her lifetime record to 17-11-2-1 while returning $20.60 on a $2 win ticket. She was bred in Argentina by La Manija.