Brainard On Yellow Diamond

This year’s three-year-old filly Breeders Crown champion, Yellow Diamond, figures to be an overwhelming favourite when she hits the track to take on seven other distaffers in Saturday’s $185,000 American National Three-Year

-Old Filly Pace at Balmoral Park.

The daughter of Western Terror has been nothing short of sensational, racking up 12 victories, three seconds and four thirds with earnings of $1,222,303 in this her first season of racing.

Part of a string of strong sophomore pacing fillies who hail from the barn of trainer Tracy Brainard, Yellow Diamond posted her first career victory in her third career start, capturing the $76,000 final of the Tender Loving Care in a stakes record of 1:51.3 back in February of this season.

The versatile filly has never looked back since then, racking up wins on various sized ovals both in the U.S. and Canada.

“Coming into this year, Yellow Diamond was probably the least respected of the fillies we now have,” Brainard said. “For her to come in and do the things she has done and be as tough as she is while that has been very exciting for us.”

Her biggest victory to date came just three weeks ago, as she gamely held off the late rally of Ginger And Fred to win the $600,000 Breeders Crown at Woodbine Racetrack. The winner’s share of the richest of the eight 'Crown' championships contested that night more than made up for the $62,500 it cost owners Bulletproof Enterprises of Boca Raton to supplement her to the race.

“We talked about going to all the big races this year with all of our horses but in February, March and April it’s still pretty much just a dream,” Brainard said after the victory. “You don’t know if you’ll ever make it that far. Then when you do and you look back at it you just kind of say ‘Wow, we really did it,’ which is pretty amazing.”

Among her other triumphs this season are various Ontario Sire Stakes, the Tarport Hap at the Meadowlands, the Glen Garnsey Memorial at the Red Mile and the James Lynch Memorial at Pocono Downs, where she took her career mark of 1:49.4 over the five-eights mile oval.

(Balmoral)