Diplomat Lady Continues Dominance

Diplomat Lady continues to perform like the dominant 2-year-old filly many expected this year. She won the $250,000-guaranteed Hollywood Starlet at 35-1 odds Sunday at Hollywood Park, giving trainer Christopher S. Paasch his first Grade I victory.

“I want to jump out of my skin,” said Paasch, who has been training horses since 1984.

Ridden by Tyler Baze, Diplomat Lady led wire to wire in the 1 1/16 -mile race. She took a one-length lead on the backstretch and then held off favorite Balance to win by a neck in 1:43.89.

The victory paid $80, the highest price so far for a stakes winner at the 27-day autumn meet that concludes today, and earned $273,600 for the winners.

Diplomat Lady broke her maiden in her debut at Hollywood Park in June but didn’t impress with her slow speed figure.

She then ran poorly in consecutive graded stakes races at Del Mar last summer before being diagnosed with a lung infection.

After being treated with medication, she bounced back last month with a six-furlong victory at Hollywood Park.

“We went over and over this filly and found some ulcers, but she still wouldn’t give 100%,” Paasch said. “We looked deeper into her lungs and found she had a pretty serious lung infection.”

-- Dan Arritt