Hughes can become G1 jockey & trainer in Britain & U.S. with Sayidah Dariyan in Ladies Turf Sprint
- Sayidah Dariyan gives G1 Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint some international flavor
- Vina Arana cuts back in distance for G1 Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint
- D’Angelo returns to Kentucky Downs with Spirited Boss, Severely Overpayin
Kentucky Downs media notes by Ryan Martin (Benoit Photo above of Spirited Boss winning Santa Anita’s Monrovia)
Sayidah Dariyan gives G1 Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint some international flavor
FRANKLIN, KY (August 27, 2026) – English-based trainer Richard Hughes has shipped European invader Sayidah Dariyan to Kentucky Downs for her first endeavor across the pond in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.75 million Never Say Die Turf Sprint going 6 ½ furlongs for fillies and mares at Kentucky Downs.
As a former rider, Hughes amassed great success as a Champion British Flat Jockey for three straight years from 2012-14. The latter year included an American Grade 1 conquest when he piloted Chriselliam to victory in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Santa Anita. He opened his training stable in 2015 and last year saddled his first Group 1 winner when 66-1 longshot No Half Measures captured the July Cup at Newmarket. Hughes won the same race as a jockey in 2003 aboard Oasis Dream.
Sayidah Dariyan will attempt to make Hughes an American Grade 1-winning jockey and trainer in Saturday’s test. The 4-year-old daughter of Dariyan was a last out second beaten a neck in the Group 3 Oak Tree on July 29 over good-to-firm ground at Goodwood, following a close ninth beaten 2 ¾ lengths in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee in June at Royal Ascot.
At Goodwood, Sayidah Dariyan tracked a close fourth to fifth in the early stages, and responded when called upon in midstretch, but could not stave off the inside rally of the eventual winner Flora of Bermuda.
Her most recent win came last year in the Group 3 Summer going six furlongs at York.
“She ran a blinder that day,” Hughes said of her Goodwood effort. “She hasn’t been too lucky this year, in her race at Ascot she just got stuck in behind horses.”
Sayidah Dariyan’s best Group 1 effort came in last June’s Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot, where she finished a close fourth at 66-1 odds. Although winless in four starts at said caliber, Hughes has confidence she can notch that elusive victory when coming stateside.
“We’re feeling hopeful and we really think she has a chance,” Hughes said. “I’m grateful that the owners were willing to put up the money to run in this race. The conditions for the race should suit her, the six-and-a-half furlongs will be good for her, and she likes firm ground. It’s a big adventure, but we wouldn’t be sending her if she didn’t have a chance.”
Jockey Brian Hernandez, Jr., the second all-time leading rider at Kentucky Downs, picks up the mount aboard Sayidah Dariyan from post 8 in the 12-horse field.
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Vina Arana cuts back in distance for G1 Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint
A last-out winner going one mile in the Grade 2 Nassau at Woodbine, Vina Arana will look to double up on Graded triumphs in Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.75 million Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint.
Owned by Sterling Stables and MHM Stables, Vina Arana secured a breakthrough conquest in the Nassau on July 19, which was the 5-year-old daughter of Make Believe’s first victory since a first-level allowance win last November over the Churchill Downs turf. Last out, Vina Arana settled eight lengths off the pace when last-of-6, launched a swift turn of foot around the far turn, and took command at the top of the stretch to draw away by four lengths. Prior to this effort, she ran much closer to the pace when third in the Grade 3 Mint Julep on May 30 at Churchill Downs following a fifth in the Grade 2 Distaff Turf Mile over the same course on Kentucky Derby weekend.
“I think she’s more than held her own in a higher grade,” trainer Jack Sisterson said. “On Derby Day, she was wide and there was no pace up front. If you look at her Ragozin numbers, she’s had 10s going into Woodbine and she ran a career-high number up there. The types of numbers she’s run win a Grade 1 for a filly, so she’s going in the right direction.”
Following her first four starts in her native Ireland, which included a third in the Group 3 Mutamakina at Leopardstown, Vina Arana made her debut for Sisteron a winning one displaying a late-closing kick to break her maiden in August 2024 at Saratoga. Sisterson noticed her talent when breezing her alongside his Grade 1-winner Aspen Grove.
“Since we got her at Saratoga a few years ago, she has shown a lot of talent,” Sisterson said. “She’s matured nicely since, but we always thought had tons of talent from the day she worked in company with Aspen Grove when [jockey] Tyler [Gaffalione] breezed her. When she won the allowance at Churchill last year, I spoke to the owner, and we decided to go straight into stakes company because we thought she was that good. From Day One, she came with a reputation. Her former trainer Henry de Bromhead said she was talented, and she’s lived up to it.”
The Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint will be the shortest race that Vina Arana has contested through a consistent 12-3-0-3 career.
“She’s definitely a miler,” Sisterson said. “But we envision on Saturday that six-and-a-half [furlongs] could lead to a seven-and-a-half to a mile, and they’ll go fast up front and we’ll be flying late.”
Jockey Adam Beschizza has been aboard Vina Arana in her last six starts and retains the mount from post 11.
The Never Say Die Ladies Turf Sprint will go off at 4:40 CT as Race 7 on the 11-race program.
One race prior, Sisterson will saddle 2-year-old debut maiden winner Arctic Wolf in the $750,000 Keeneland Sales Juvenile Sprint for owners MHM Stables, C T R Stables, and John F. Goldthorpe.
The gray son of Frosted showed speed in his triumphant debut over a firm outer turf at Aqueduct for original trainer Phil Antonacci, en route to a one-length winner as the lukewarm favorite. In his first start for Sisterson, he finished sixth over a yielding Ellis Park turf. He will race with blinkers on for Saturday’s race.
“We didn’t have him long, but he came in great shape,” Sisterson said. “There were no excuses in his last race, but he came out of the race in great shape and trained forwardly since. We’ve gotten to know him a lot more and adjusted a few things with him. He ran great with Phil at Aqueduct and I think we can get him back to that performance on Saturday.”
Martin Garcia will retain the mount from post 4 in the Keeneland Sales Juvenile Sprint, which will go off at 3:57 PM CT as Race 6.
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D’Angelo returns to Kentucky Downs with Spirited Boss, Severely Overpayin
Trainer Jose D’Angelo had a thrilling day last year at Kentucky Downs when his talented turf sprinter Shisospicy defeated stablemate Cloe by three lengths in the Grade 2 Music City. He’ll be back for what he hopes are more prosperous times at the Franklin turf course when he saddles Graded stakes winner Spirited Boss and maiden winner Severely Overpayin for their respective stakes outings.
A Tag Stables homebred, Spirited Boss will contest Saturday’s Grade 1, $1.75 million Never Say Die Ladies Sprint going 6 ½ furlongs off three months’ rest. The 4-year-old daughter of Street Boss has shown an affinity for the 6 ½-furlong distance, running a narrow second in the Mizdirection over Santa Anita’s downhill turf course, on the heels of a victory in the Grade 3 Monrovia over the same track. Both efforts garnered career-high 93 Beyer Speed Figures.
A winner of her first three starts during her 3-year-old season, which included a win in the Sanibel Island at Gulfstream Park, Spirited Boss was initially under consideration for last year’s Music City.
“My plan last year was to run her with Shispspicy and Cloe, but she needed some time and we gave her all the time she needed,” D’Angelo said. “She came back with a very good performance at Tampa. The distance is her ideal distance. She’s never run at Kentucky Downs, but I’m confident that she’ll take to it.”
Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith has piloted Spirited Boss in her last two starts, and will ship in to ride once more from post 10.
Michael Dubb and Andrew Rosen’s Severely Overpayin will contest the following day’s $750,000 Untapable for 2-year-old fillies going 6 ½ furlongs. The daughter of first-crop sire Highly Motivated was highly impressive at first asking, winning by 4 ½ lengths over the Gulfstream Park turf on July 25.
“She’s a very nice filly. I told the owners before her race that I thought she was special,” D’Angelo said. “It’s not easy for maiden fillies to win by four or five lengths on the turf, especially going five furlongs, but she looked very professional and just traveled well.”
Reigning Eclipse Champion Jockey Flavien Prat will pick up the mount aboard Severely Overpayin from post 4 in the 12-horse field.
D’Angelo provided an update on last year’s Music City winner Shisospicy, who used Kentucky Downs as a springboard to a conquest against the world’s best turf sprinters in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Del Mar. She subsequently was crowned Eclipse Champion Female Sprinter for last year’s accolades.
The talented 4-year-old daughter of Mitole resumed training at Saratoga earlier this month, and is eyeing a repeat score of the Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint, which will be held at Keeneland.
“She’s doing great and that’s what’s most important, we are taking things week by week,” D’Angelo said. “We would like to get her to the Breeders’ Cup. It’s a shame we didn’t get to make the Kentucky Downs this year, but hopefully we’ll be there next year.”
The 1/ST BET Kentucky Downs Meet will be broadcast live each day of the seven-day meet on Peacock, FanDuelTV, as well as Kentucky Downs’ YouTube channel @kentuckydownsracing8897. NBC Sports also will provide live coverage of Opening Day from 3:00-5:00 PM CT, while NBC will air Kentucky Downs on Saturday, September 5 during the same time slot.
