The same week Donald R. Dizney lost his beloved homebred and Double Diamond Farm stallion First Dude, another homebred Dizney star came to the forefront when Little Opal (f, 3, Caravaggio–Il Mulino, by Elusive Quality) blazed to a frontrunning score in the GIII John C. Harris Stakes at Santa Anita in her stakes debut Saturday. The 3-year-old filly is unbeaten in three lifetime starts after graduating July 24 at Del Mar and doubling up Sept. 4 in an optional allowance, also at Del Mar. Little Opal recorded 90 and 94 Beyer Speed Figures, respectively, in her two previous starts, each five-furlong contests.Stretching out from five furlongs to 6 1/2 panels Saturday and never headed at any previous call, Little Opal left little doubt she would show the way in the John C. Harris. The public pegged her at 6-5 to retain command to the end.Breaking from the outside 10 hole, she hustled away from the stalls with no difficulty to lead the field through a :22 first quarter down the hill. Double-digit choices Come On Om (Om), Mo' Em Down (Caracaro), and Seeking Attention (Yaupon) tried to stay with her as Run With Liberty (Originaire {Ire}) briefly mounted an early challenge while wide. Unfazed as she led the field through a half in :44.34, Little Opal crossed the dirt, cut the corner, and headed for home with ears pricked and the wire in her sights. Day to Day (McKinzie) got involved late with an eye-catching move down the lane as Little Opal swapped to her wrong lead, but the bay had enough left to hold off Day to Day by 1 1/4 lengths as Mo' Em Down held sway for third. Little Opal got the 6 1/2 furlongs in 1:12.76.“This stakes race is something we thought about a few months ago,” said winning trainer Doug O'Neill. “It was coming back a little quick from her last win, but Emisael [Jaramillo] knows her well and he felt like she had good energy coming into this race. We got a great cozy outside post, with not a lot of speed early on. Just a great ride and a great filly.”Pedigree Notes:Based in Japan at Shizunai Stallion Station since the 2023 season, Caravaggio is the sire of 15 graded/group winners and 31 black-type winners, including MG1SW stars Porta Fortuna (Ire) and Tenebrism, as well as U.S. MGISW Whitebeam (GB). Caravaggio's 2026 GI American Turf Stakes winner Stark Contrast is out of a Quality Road mare, while Little Opal is out of a mare by Quality Road's sire, Elusive Quality. The late Elusive Quality has 196 stakes winners out of his daughters.Double Diamond bought the winning Il Mulino for $200,000 at the 2013 Keeneland September yearling sale. While the mare has lost a trio of foals at birth, her four living foals include the stakes-placed Cucina (Northern Afleet), Little Opal, and a yearling filly by Mage. The family has had a fantastic September, as Il Mulino's half-sister produced Sept. 7 GII John C. Mabee Stakes winner Medoro (Honor Code). Il Mulino's dam is a full-sister to GI Kentucky Derby winner Giacomo (Holy Bull) and a half-sister to MGISW Tiago (Pleasant Tap), to GSW & MGISP Stanwyck (Empire Maker), and to WinStar stallion Nashville (Speightstown). Congratulations to Donald R. Dizneys homebred,Little Opal - dominated today at @santaanitapark in the G3 John C. Harris S. @DougONeill1 @JaramilloJockey @Garrett9Smith #girlpower #champion pic.twitter.com/wFHkcE1Xzh— Double Diamond Farm (@DoubleFarm15830) September 27, 2026Saturday, Santa AnitaJOHN C. HARRIS S.-GIII, $102,000, Santa Anita, 9-26, 3yo, f, 6 1/2fT, 1:12.76, fm.1–LITTLE OPAL, 120, f, 3, by Caravaggio 1st Dam: Il Mulino, by Elusive Quality 2nd Dam: Styler, by Holy Bull 3rd Dam: Set Them Free, by Stop the Music1ST BLACK TYPE WIN, 1ST GRADED STAKES WIN.O/B-Donald R. Dizney LLC (KY); T-Doug F. O'Neill; J-EmisaelJaramillo. $60,000. Lifetime Record: 3-3-0-0, $156,600. *1/2to Cucina (Northern Afleet), SP, $280,254. Werk NickRating: A+. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.2–Day to Day, 122, f, 3, McKinzie–Clockstrucktwelve, byMalibu Moon. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. O-BAG RacingStables LLC, C2 Racing Stable LLC, Charles H. Deters, BarryFowler, and Mark J. Taylor; B-R. Larry Johnson (VA); T-SaffieJoseph, Jr. $20,000.3–Mo' Em Down, 120, f, 3, Caracaro–Welcome Aboard, byRock Hard Ten. ($40,000 Ylg '24 KEESEP). O-Altamira RacingStable, Tom Kagele, and Ernest Marchosky; B-Pope McLean,Marc McLean & Pope McLean Jr. (KY); T-Peter Miller.$12,000.Margins: 1 1/4, 1 1/4, 2HF. Odds: 1.20, 7.00, 10.50.Also Ran: Surfin' U. S. A., Run With Liberty, Brave Deb, Yours Sincerely (Ire), Seeking Attention, Come On Om. Scratched: R Slew of Cash.Click for the Equibase.com chart or the TJCIS.com PPs. VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel Racing. The post Donald Dizney’s Little Opal Stays Unbeaten in John C. Harris appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.