The turf will be center stage Saturday at Saratoga as the traditional summer meet’s opening weekend co-features the Grade 2 $200,000 Bowling Green and the Grade 1 $500,000 Diana. Horseplayers at 1/ST BET and Xpressbet can take part in the 1 Million 1/ST Rewards Points Late Pick 4 Hit & Split promotion, which includes the Diana.

Let’s meet the contenders for the Diana (Race 11):

#1-SHE FEELS PRETTY: 4-year-old filly has won 4 straight races, including a trio of Grade 1 events during the current streak. Cherie DeVaux trainee won the New York over this turf course during the Belmont Stakes Festival and was runner-up here last summer in the Lake Placid. Regular pilot John Velazquez returns to Saratoga after last Saturday’s successful road trip in winning the Indiana Derby. Velazquez is a Diana record 6-time winner of this race.

#2-CHOISYA: British-bred and raced runner makes her third straight start stateside for Simon Crisford. She won April’s Grade 1 Jenny Wiley at Keeneland, but tossed in a dud seventh off that in the Grade 1 Just A Game over the Saratoga course in her only local appearance. Multiple Group 2 winner in Dubai this winter was a listed stakes winner in the UK. Luis Saez, who has ridden in both US starts and won the 2014 Diana aboard Somali Lemonade, will have the mount.

#3-LADY CLAYPOOLE: UK export came to the US in the summer of 2023 and has ascended to become of the better turf mares in Southern California. She won the Grade 3 Santa Ana in March and was runner-up last out in the May 26 Grade 1 Gamely at Santa Anit behind Diana rival Be Your Best. Joel Rosario gets the first-time mount for trainer Richard Baltas. Starspangledbanner 5-year-old has finished first or second in 5 straight starts.

#4-EXCELLENT TRUTH: Chad Brown has won this race 3 years running, 8 of the last 9 years, and a record 9 times overall. Flavien Prat was aboard the last 2 and seeks a Diana 3-peat. They’ll team with this 5-year-old French export who has been runner-up as the favorite in both US starts to date, the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley and Grade 1 Just A Game. Both recent placings came behind Diana rivals, Choisya at Keeneland and Dynamic Pricing at the Spa. Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed during her French career.

#5-DYNAMIC PRICING: Second Chad Brown entrant who could give the barn it’s record-padding 10th Diana victory. She won the Grade 2 Edgewood during a 1-for-6 sophomore season in 2024, but is 2-for-2 this year and exits a 10-1 upset in the Grade 1 Just a Game over this course. Stretches out to 1-1/8 miles for the first time and notably the worst performance of her career came in the Belmont Oaks Invitational last summer in her longest career test. Dylan Davis was aboard for the Just A Game victory and returns to the saddle.

#6-BE YOUR BEST: Florida-based mare shipped west and wired Santa Anita’s Grade 1 Gamely on May 25, adding to her Grade 2 Pegasus World Cup Filly & Mare Turf title in a 2-for-3 campaign so far. Irad Ortiz Jr. partnered with Saffie Joseph Jr. in winning the Gamely and keeps the call. Ortiz won the Diana in 2016 and 2017, the latter aboard the great Lady Eli. Be Your Best has been first or second early in each of her last 7 starts and should be quite comfortable early against these 5 rivals that typically do not employ early speed.