Ozara continues Saratoga love affair in Ballston Spa

Cheyenne Stable’s Ozara muscled her way into the clear in Friday’s $300,000 Ballston Spa (G2) to remain unbeaten at Saratoga. A debut winner here at two, and most recently successful in a division of the De La Rose S., the Miguel Clement filly is now 3-for-3 at the Spa.

“I guess Saratoga suits her by having so much tactical speed,” Clement said. “Today, they were rolling – 46 and change – and she was always traveling strong on the bridle. Short stretch, a bit speed-favoring, and that's her type of game.

“Plus, Dylan (Davis) rode her. I don't think he (could) give a better ride than he did in the De La Rose, and I think it's another picture-perfect ride from Dylan.”

Even with the scratch of the 9-5 pace factor Be Your Best, who runs in Saturday’s Beverly D. (G2) instead, there was no shortage of early speed to track. Edict set fractions of :23, :46.69, and 1:10.33 on the firm Mellon turf, closely attended by No Mo Candy, who took over down the lane.

Ozara camped in an ideal ground-saving spot just behind the leaders, and the only question was when she could escape the pocket. Deep Satin, the slight favorite at 2.65-1, tried to keep Ozara hemmed in. But she could not contain Ozara’s pent-up momentum.

Willing her way out, Ozara quickened past No Mo Candy to win cozily by 1 1/2 lengths. The Irish-bred covered 1 1/16 miles in 1:39.65 and paid $9.20.

Deep Satin headed No Mo Candy for runner-up honors. Whiskey Decision rallied from last to take fourth, followed by Edict, Maggie Go, and Ocean Club. In addition to Be Your Best, Freedom Speaks, and the main-track-only hopefuls Bernietakescharge, Amanda’s Folly, and Just Music were all withdrawn.

“I just wanted to break well and get good position,” Davis recapped. “I was not really sure how it was going to play out. It looked like there was good speed. 

“Broke well, was laying in the pocket trip, and she was traveling nice for me, switched off down the backside, and got into a good rhythm. Johnny (Velazquez on Edict) just ended up backing up a little earlier than I thought. 

“I was able to work an outside trip from there without causing any trouble, and I just tapped her one time left-handed, and she responded really nicely. She took me on through the wire, a little bit green there. I guess she saw something with the cameras there late. Before the wire, she ducked in a little bit, but it was enough there.”

Deep Satin’s rider, Jose Ortiz, agreed that Ozara caused no trouble.

“She came out gradually. I think Dylan Davis gave her a great ride.

“I was just second best today,” Ortiz summed up.

Ozara has compiled a mark of 13-7-2-2, $598,257. The Lope de Vega filly has also enjoyed Gulfstream Park, where she captured the 2023 Wait a While S., 2024 Ginger Brew S., and 2025 Monroe S. Her stakes placings include the Chelsey Flower S. at Aqueduct at two, Gulfstream’s Herecomesthebride (G3) and Sanibel Island S. during her abbreviated sophomore campaign in 2024, and the June 14 Eatontown (G3) at Monmouth Park. 

“I was worried about the De La Rose (on July 10) because we were wheeling her back quick (from the Eatontown),” Clement said, “but I was upset with the race at Monmouth because I think the ground got us beat. I was very upset, and then she won well here, and she was training well enough, so I said, ‘let's go for it.’ 

“To run her three times at the top level in eight weeks is by some people's standards aggressive, but she was training well, her appetite was great, and her energy level was up to marks. So, go for it. You have more to gain by running and performing than they do in the stalls. You need to be aggressive and go for it.”

Might that aggressiveness extend to Grade 1 tilts this fall?

“You have to think about it,” Clement said. “You have the Grade 1 at Keeneland potentially (the Oct. 4 First Lady [G1]) or at the end of the year, the Matriarch (G1) (at Del Mar). Look at the historical stats of what De La Rose winners have done in the Matriarch recently. It's food for thought. Let's just enjoy it and see how she comes out of it.”

A Tattersalls October yearling who brought approximately $416,346, Ozara is out of a half-sister to European champion Golden Horn. Ozara’s dam, the Acclamation mare Cercle d’Or, is also a half to Grade 2-placed stakes scorer Eastern Belle, herself responsible for multiple Group 3 hero Megallan. This is the further family of Royal Ascot celebrities Rebecca Sharp and Frankly Darling.