Diamond Stripes

2003, Notebook - Romantic Summer, by On to Glory

Breeder: Mr. and Mrs. Samuel H. Rogers Jr. (Fl.)

Owner: Four Roses Thoroughbreds

Trainer: Richard Dutrow Jr.

Regular Rider: Cornelio Velasquez

Pedigree

Diamond Stripes
Notebook
Romantic Summer
Well Decorated
Mobcap
On to Glory
Summer Romance
Raja Baba
Paris Breeze
Tom Rolfe
Cap and Bells
Bold Lad
Shenanigans
Cutlass
Time to Remember

Purchase Info

Originally consigned as a weanling to 2003 Keeneland November mixed sale by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for White Oaks and purchased for $95,000 by Southern Cypress Stable, agent.

Consigned to 2004 Keeneland September yearling sale by Taylor Made Sales Agency, agent for Classic Oaks Farm and purchased for $340,000 by Mahmoud Fustok's Buckram Oak Farm.

Fustok was subsequently killed by a vehicle while jogging and Kassem Masri's Four Roses Thoroughbreds, the current owner, purchased Fustok's horses in a private transaction.

Race Record

AgeStarts1st2nd3rdEarnings 
33300$207,000
47204$588,645
52100$680,000

At 3: 1– Pegasus S. (G3)

At 4: 1– Meadowlands Cup H. (G2), 3– Stephen Foster H. (G1), Whitney H. (G1), Woodward S. (G1), Clark H. (G2)

At 5: 1– Etisalat Godolphin Mile (G2)

Last Start

Won Meadowlands Cup H. (G2) on Oct. 5 at Meadowlands

Contender Status

Diamond Stripes, winner of last year's Pegasus Stakes (G3) at Meadowlands, has had the misfortune of running into current handicap division leader Lawyer Ron in two of his starts.

The Notebook gelding finished third on both occasions, the Whitney Handicap (G1) and the Woodward Stakes (G1), both at Saratoga Race Course, but was defeated a combined total of 15 1/4-lengths in those two outings.

Finishing third twice to Lawyer Ron is certainly no disgrace, that's certainly better than others have done, but Diamond Stripes still needed to improve to close the distance gap.

He showed that improvement on October 5 in the 1 1/8-mile Meadowlands Cup (G2), advancing steadily from sixth to seize the lead and gamely hold off Magna Graduate for a half-length victory.

Diamond Stripes is headed for the Breeders' Cup, but which race is the current question.

"I'm not sure that he is a mile and a quarter [Classic] horse, but some of the tougher horses may not like Monmouth as much and we trained there all summer," trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. said. "I might go for the $1-million race the day before [Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile]. I'm not dreaming of the Classic, however, you never know. If you run third or fourth in the [Classic], that's big money also."

Dutrow pre-entered Diamond Stripes in both the Classic and the Dirt Mile.

Recent Works

October 22 - Five furlongs breezing in :59.27 at Aqueduct, track fast. Best of seven workouts at the distance.

Quotable

Trainer Richard Dutrow Jr. a few days before the Breeders' Cup:

"I don't like running horses back in three weeks, but maybe this is what he's looking for. I'm seeing nothing but good so I'm just following his lead."