Churchill Downs: Ragtime, Immersive win Saturday stakes

Ragtime, the runner-up in the Test (G1) in her previous start, overcame a sluggish start but charged down the homestretch with style Saturday to defeat long shot Strong State by 2 1/4 lengths in the 50th running of the Grade 2, $300,000 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs.

Campaigned by Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott for owner-breeder Godolphin, Ragtime covered seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:22.35 under jockey Júnior Alvarado. It was the same trio who teamed to win with Sovereignty in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

Click here for Churchill Downs entries and results.

“She ran huge,” Alvarado said. “Broke a little slow, relaxed and came with a big run.”

The $181,900 first prize jumped Ragtime’s earnings to $397,400 from a record of 4: 3-1-0.

Ragtime, the 4-5 favorite, paid $3.96, $2.82 and $2.10. Strong State, a 28-1 long shot ridden by James Graham, returned $12.76 and $5.10. Delightful Claire, the 5-2 third betting choice with José Ortiz up, was half-length behind the runner-up and paid $3.14 to show. Mega Mil, Sturgeon Moon, Gerlin’s Empire and 2-1 second choice Echo Sound completed the order of finish.

Breaking from post 3, Ragtime hesitated at the start and was last out of the gate as Delightful Claire went to the front through early fractions of 22.84, 45.55 and 1:10.03.

Ragtime had one horse beaten going up the backstretch but began to advance into the turn along the inside. As Mega Mil challenged Delightful Claire in the upper stretch, Ragtime tipped out five wide and began to hit her best stride. She passed the leaders just before the sixteenth pole and outkicked rallying Strong State to the wire.

This was the first stakes victory for Ragtime, who finished a neck behind Kilwin in the Aug. 2 Test at Saratoga in her only other stakes appearance.

“She really ran a big race today,” said Kenny McCarthy, Mott’s veteran chief assistant in Kentucky. “The team in New York did a great job with her before she came to Kentucky. Júnior did a great job not to panic after breaking slowly. She was able to have a target to run at and finished up really well.”

Ragtime is a daughter of Union Rags out of Storm Cat mare Burmilla and was bred in Kentucky by her owners.

Eclipse winner Immersive wins Seneca

Godolphin’s champion homebred Immersive returned to the winner’s circle with a hard-fought, comeback victory in the fifth running of the $173,700 Seneca Overnight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies. She defeated Ivory and Ebony by two lengths.

Ridden by Florent Géroux and trained by Brad Cox, Immersive ran 1 1/16 miles over a fast track in 1:42.64 to collect her first win of the year in three starts. The $107,200 winner’s share increased Immersive’s earnings to $1,729,900 with an overall record of 7: 5-2-0.

Immersive, the Eclipse Award-winning juvenile filly of 2024 who won three Grade 1s, dictated the terms and led the field of five through unpressured and comfortable early splits of 24.10, 48.16 and 1:12.32. Graded-stakes-placed Liam in the Dust on the outside and Saratoga maiden winner Ivory and Ebony along the rail chased the leader.

Leaving the final turn Ivory and Ebony rushed to challenge the leader through an opening along the inside and briefly poked her head in front. Immersive and Ivory and Ebony raced shoulder-to-shoulder in upper stretch before the class of Immersive prevailed, and she inched away with a furlong to the finish.

Immersive paid $3.22, $2.28 and $2.10 as the 3-5 betting choice. Ivory and Ebony, ridden by Ortiz at odds of 7-2, returned $3.50 and $2.40. It was another 4 1/4 lengths back to Quickick in third under Brian Hernandez Jr., and she paid $2.64 to show at 6-1. Liam in the Dust and Flash Wear completed the order of finish. Decadent and Next Up were scratched.

Immersive was bred in Kentucky. She is a daughter of Nyquist out of the Bernardini mare Gap Year.