Weekend racing in the US

The networks up the ante with their coverage of racing this weekend as Saratoga and Monmouth Park take centre stage for three excellent renewals.
First up on Saturday is the Grade 1 Diana Stakes where a number of foreign bred horses, including Britain's Aviate and French mount Zagora, take on a number of interesting US rivals. The Grade 2 Jim Dandy Stakes follows half an hour later, with both races live on Versus.
The main event on Sunday is the Grade 1 Haskell Invitational at Monmouth Park, New Jersey. Billed as the fourth biggest three-year-old race of the year after the Triple Crown contests, ABC dedicate an hour of scheduling to the $1,000,000 feature, which should be long enough to bore people to death.

Saturday
Saratoga, NY (Firm/Fast)
5.12 (10.12BST) $500,000 Diana Stakes (Grade 1) 9f, 3-year-olds+ fillies & mares (10 runners) turf
Aruna (Graham Motion/RA Dominguez) 3/1 or Dyna Waltz (Jonathan Sheppard/E Prado) 12/1ew
One of two Graham Motion runners in the field, Aruna won on her last time out in the Grade 3 All Along Stakes at Virginia's Colonial Downs, and has the chance to reverse places with Aviate following a swing in the weights. Dyna Waltz spent her first two years competing in Britain but has run well in her first US campaign and appears to love firm ground.

5.45 (10.45BST) $500,000 Jim Dandy Stakes (Grade 2) 9f, 3-year-olds (7 runners) dirt
Scotus (KG McPeek/A Garcia) 8/1ew or Dominus (Steve Asmussen/JR Leparoux) 3/1
On paper an open race with Belmont Stakes runner-up Stay Thirsty and third placed Brilliant Speed the headline entrants. Brilliant Speed carries the heaviest weight, however, and Stay Thirsty's runs in the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby don't inspire confidence. I'm siding with outsider Scotus, winner of the Grade 3 Matt Winn Stakes at Churchill Downs in June. Dominus' last outing resulted in a Grade 2 victory at Belmont Park.

Sunday
Monmouth Park, NJ  (Fast)
5.43 (10.43BST) $1,000,000 Haskell Invitational (Grade 1), 9f, 3-year-olds (8 runners) dirt
Shackleford (Dale Romans/JL Castenon) 5/2fav or Astrology (Steve Asmussen/JR Leparoux) 5/1
Preakness victor Shackleford heads the market for this prestigious contest and I see no need to oppose him, despite a relatively poor showing in the Belmont Stakes (distance/conditions good excuses for that). Astrology ran well in finishing third at Pimlico behind Shackleford and could shrug off a poor run in the Iowa Derby last time out. Pants On Fire and Belmont winner Ruler On Ice are two other Triple Crown participants that could feature.