Diana Stakes: She Feels Pretty looms large at Saratoga

Anyone who loves horse racing betting gets excited about the opening of the summer meet at Saratoga. The Spa is open, and the top fillies and mares in the middle-distance turf division line up for the Diana Stakes (G1) on Saturday, July 12 at Saratoga. Open to female horses ages four and up, the 1 ⅛-mile race offers a $500,000 purse and it perennially showcases some of the best grass runners in the country.

Though the Diana drew just six this year, it is a case of quality over quantity. Every single runner comes into the Diana out of a Grade 1 race. Five of the six finished in the money last out, and the one who didn’t won a Grade 1 race two back and just didn’t take to the turf condition last out. The leader of the field is She Feels Pretty, the divisional leader so far, but the likes of Excellent Truth, Be Your Best and more line up to take that crown.

[cta-betting-pick bet=”She Feels Pretty” match=”To win the Diana Stakes” odds=”+100″ cta=”Bet Now!” id_partner=48″]

Who will add their name to the Diana Stakes winners’ list this year?  Read on to find out!

Where to Bet the Diana Stakes

Picking a winner is important, but it is just as important to find the best place to bet the Diana Stakes online. Making that choice can be difficult since there are so many options, but our online betting experts are here to help. They have done the research and know how to help you quickly and easily find the best online racebooks for your playing style.

Every site we recommend has the basics: a smooth user interface, trusted payouts, and market-leading odds. Each site also offers lucrative incentives like sign-up bonuses, deposit bonuses, and betting rebates that pay you for every bet you make. Different benefits benefit different bettors based on preferred wagers and stakes, so taking a couple minutes now to choose the best horse racing bonuses can build your bankroll by hundreds or even thousands of dollars!

Top Online Racebooks

These are the best racebooks for betting the Diana Stakes online:

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Diana Stakes Horses and Odds

This is the official field for the 2022 Diana Stakes including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning lines:

  1. She Feels Pretty (Cherie DeVaux/John Velazquez) – 1/1
  2. Choisya (Simon Crisford/Luis Saez) – 8/1
  3. Lady Claypoole (Richard Baltas/Joel Rosario – 20/1
  4. Excellent Truth (Chad Brown/Flavien Prat) – 5/2
  5. Dynamic Pricing (Chad Brown/Dylan Davis) – 9/2
  6. Be Your Best (Saffie Joseph, Jr./Irad Ortiz, Jr.) – 6/1

Closer to the race, Saratoga will release a morning line. That can be a good guide to which horses are likely to take action, but it is no guarantee of post-time odds if you bet on track. Your best bet in the Diana is to bet at an online sportsbook, because online sportsbooks offer fixed odds on major horse races. The, you can watch the race with full confidence of what you’ll win when your horse finishes first!

Bovada Sportsbook ReviewBetOnline Sportsbook ReviewBetUS Sportsbook Review
She Feels Pretty+100+100+100
Excellent Truth+250+250+250
Dynamic Pricing+450+450+450
Be Your Best+500+500+500

Free Diana Stakes Picks

You have your online betting account set up, so now it is time to get to know the top contenders for the 2025 Diana Stakes:

Diana Stakes Favorites

The top contender for the Diana is She Feels Pretty. The leader of the filly and mare turf division, she was good enough to win the New York (G1) despite not loving the softer going. With rain possible, that’s a good thing that she can handle either firmer or softer going.

[cta-betting-pick bet=”She Feels Pretty” match=”To win the Diana Stakes” odds=”+100″ cta=”Bet Now!” id_partner=48″]

In the field of six a fast pace is unlikely, making She Feels Pretty’s running style an asset. She should be able to track in close range of the pace, and be good enough to finish with power.

Her toughest competition is Excellent Truth. Though Excellent Truth has not yet won in two American starts, she came close in both the Jenny Wiley (G1) and Just a Game (G1). She is versatile with respect to ground, meaning whether it rains much or not is of no consequence, and she keeps big-race jockey Flavien Prat.

Diana Stakes Exotic Possibilities

From a pace perspective, Be Your Best is an excellent choice. In a six-horse field, it’s worth seeing who can be in a position to steal it, and Be Your Best shapes as the pacesetter. There is a good chance Irad Ortiz will be left to walk the dog, and if he can slow it down, she may have enough to hold off most of the competition.

Who else to use in exotics gets a bit ground-dependent. If the ground gets wet, Dynamic Pricing appeals strongly. Though she is a late runner, she brings out her best over yielding ground, meaning if it rains and becomes a game of who likes the softer footing, it may be her.

If the ground comes up firmer, consider Choisya instead. She is the classic European going abroad in search of firmer ground – she thrived at Meydan and over good ground at Keeneland, but rna poorly over yielding Saratoga ground last month. With tactical speed, she could get a very nice trip if the ground suits.

Diana Stakes Free Picks

You’ve signed up to bet horse racing online and you’ve gotten to know the contenders. Now, all that’s left to do is the best part of all: betting the race!  Here are the best bets for Saturday’s 2025 Diana Stakes:

 

  • $20 to win – #1 She Feels Pretty
  • $1 exacta key – #1 She Feels Pretty with #4 Excellent Truth, #6 Be Your Best
  • $0.50 trifecta key (on firmer ground) – #1 She Feels Pretty with #2 Choisya, #4 Excellent Truth, #6 Be Your Best
  • $0.50 trifecta key (on softer ground) – #1 She Feels Pretty with #4 Excellent Truth, #5 Dynamic Pricing, #6 Be Your Best

[cta-betting-pick bet=”She Feels Pretty” match=”To win the Diana Stakes” odds=”+100″ cta=”Bet Now!” id_partner=”195″]

Rowan Ward

They have been attending the races regularly for over ten years, since catching the horse racing bug at the 2013 Arlington Million. Since then their writing has appeared in their own blog and across the horse racing internet. They are still at Hawthorne for every day of live racing, and their focuses within horse racing include national stakes races, local C...

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