La Dragontea, under a confident Joel Rosario, notched her first stakes crown with an impressive score in the CA$263,000 (US$205,913) Canadian Stakes Presented by the Japan Racing Association (G2T) Sept. 18 at Woodbine.
Trained by Christophe Clement for owners Reeves Thoroughbred Racing and Rebecca Hillen, the 4-year-old Lope de Vega filly notched her second straight victory after a two-length triumph in an allowance optional claimer on yielding turf Aug. 20 at Saratoga Race Course.
Our Secret Agent took early control of the about 1 1/8-mile turf race for fillies and mares, as La Dragontea sat just off the pacesetter through an opening quarter reached in a reserved :26. Our Secret Agent continued to call the shots after a half in :51.98.
As the field rounded the turn for home, Our Secret Agent was quickly engaged to the outside by La Dragontea, Barkin, and Merveilleux, with Court Return making a bid along the inside.
Rosario sat chilly on his charge down the lane and the duo easily fended off runner-up Court Return, crossing the wire a length in front in a final time of 1:50.33 over good turf.
Barkin was third, Merveilleux fourth, and Our Secret Agent, supplemented to the race, fifth.
The race played out exactly as Rosario had hoped.
"I was just laying close to them, she was very relaxed, very nice, and I would just want to wait for the right time to move," he said. "It's a little different when you don't have a lot of horses in a race, so we're just trying to learn something."
La Dragontea ($4.40) launched her race career in England and began racing in North America this year. Saturday's win brought her record to 4-2-1 from 12 starts and increased her earnings to $246,882.
"She looked like she was getting over nice and seemed really in control for her," Rosario said of the Canadian win. "She was enjoying what she was doing out there. That makes it easy for me."
La Dragontea, out of the Sadler's Wells mare La Concorde, was bred in Great Britain by Bartisan Racing and originally raced by her breeder with trainer Michael Bell. She was bought for the equivalent of $94,430 by Stephen Hillen Bloodstock from the Highclere Stud consignment to the 2020 Tattersalls December Mares Sale.
The Canadian is the second leg of this year's Ladies of the Lawn series, which began with the Dance Smartly Stakes (G2T)—won by Mutamakina Aug. 22—and concludes with the E.P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) Oct. 17. Points are awarded on a 10-7-5-3-2 basis for the first five finishers with other runners earning one point.
Prize money for the owners will be CA$50,000 for the top points-earner, with CA$15,000 earmarked for second, and CA$10,000 for third.
