Dynawells Sets Stakes Record In Gr. 1 French Diana

Deauville turned into Upset City this weekend, when all three winners of the graded stakes races on the card turned the course’s morning line odds maker’s world upside down.

Dynawells (6-1) scored a major win the Grade 1 French Diana, Tremble Before Me lit up the tote board at 11-1 in the Grade 3 Nordic Chemical, and Dubidubido (14-1) was the biggest upset winner of all odds-wise when he came from mid-pack to power to the win in the Grade 3 Moussac.

Although all three were upset winners, Dynawells set a stakes record in winning the French Diana, while Tremble Before Me and Dubidubido also came awfully close to setting stakes records in their races on the lightning fast Deauville turf course Saturday.

The least shocking upset of all three upsets happened to come in the $500,000 Grade 1 French Diana for 3 year old fillies, the biggest graded stakes race on Saturday’s card in Deauville.

Dynawells scored her second consecutive graded stakes win in as many tries when she stalked early leader The Bee’s Knees early in the 10.5 furlong French Diana Stakes before finally grabbing a lead she would never lose at the halfway mark and coasting to a relatively easy 3 ½ length win in the French Diana.

Her owner Daniel Empire Racing said after the race he had his doubts that Dynawells, a scratch-bred daughter of A.P. Indy (x Sadler’s Wells x Mill Reef), could go as long as she did Saturday in the Grade 1 French Diana.

“She stunned me,” said Daniel, “and she was also super fast today. She also went for the lead as well, and that surprised me a bit. But her jock (W. Moss) knew what she was capable of and rode her in the best way. I aim to try her a bit longer next time.”

Dynawells, who upped her earnings to just over $600,000 with the win in the French Diana, was coming off the first graded stakes win of her career in her last outing, the 8 furlong Grade 2 Regina Elena Stakes in Italy on May 7. The win in the Diana was only Dynawells’ sixth career start and her third win.

Dynawells, who threw the highest speed figure (106) of her career on Saturday, paid $14.60 to her backers for the win Saturday. Penny Gadget (8-1) and Northern Town (5-1) rallied from mid-pack to finish second and third behind Dynawells. The 3-5 exacta paid $113.70, and the 3-5-1 trifecta paid $709.10.

Dynawells’ winning time of 2:09 flat was the fastest of all three runnings of the French Diana. She eclipsed the previous stakes record set last season by Buda At The Dance, who ran the 10.5 furlongs in a time of 2:09 4/5 last year.

Buda At The Dance, as you might remember, went on to finish second in last year’s Breeder’s Bowl Filly and Mare Turf behind Ketaring after her win here in the French Diana earlier in the season.