Ozara is 3-for-3 at Saratoga after winning Ballston Spa

Ozara brought her Saratoga record to 3-for-3 with a 1 1/2-length victory Friday in the Grade 2, $300,000 Ballston Spa Stakes, a 1 1/16-mile outer-turf test for older fillies and mares.

Owned by Cheyenne Stables and trained by Miguel Clément, the 4-year-old Lope de Vega filly adds to a last-out win under returning rider Dylan Davis in a division of the restricted one-mile listed De La Rose on July 10. She also won a debut graduation over the Ballston Spa distance in 2023 when in the care of Clément’s late father Christophe.

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“She’s based here, and she got into a great momentum here, and was able to raise it to another level,” Clément said. “I guess Saratoga suits her by having so much tactical speed. 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.”

Ozara was away evenly from post 2 in the field of seven. She stuck to the inside under Davis as Edict made the early lead. No Mo Candy, splitting between her and Ocean Club, applied mild pressure through the opening quarter-mile in 23.00 seconds over the firm footing.

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

Edict showed the way up the backstretch with No Mo Candy sticking to her flank with Ozara and Ocean Club on even terms just behind as the half-mile elapsed in 46.69 seconds. No Mo Candy inched closer to the lead approaching the turn and was head to head with Edict through three-quarters of a mile in 1:10.33. Ozara was lying in wait on the inside.

The field straightened for home, and Davis made his move, angling around the pacesetters through a small seam to the inside of the favored Deep Satin in the center of the course. No Mo Candy had arrested command from a tiring Edict and attempted to draw off when shown a left-handed stick from Irad Ortiz, Jr. But Ozara showed an impressive turn of foot with two taps of the crop from Davis. She swept past her rival inside the final sixteenth to win wrapped up with a final time of 1:39.65.

José Ortiz-piloted Deep Satin kept rolling late to land place honors by a head over No Mo Candy with Whiskey Decision completing the superfecta. Edict, Maggie Go and Ocean Club rounded out the order of finish. Be Your Best, who runs in Saturday’s Beverly D (G2) at Colonial Downs, and Freedom Speaks were scratched along with main-track-only entrants Bernietakescharge, Amanda’s Folly and Just Music.

Davis said he was able to make his winning move when Edict, piloted by Hall of Famer John Velázquez, threw in the towel.

“Johnny 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,” Davis said. “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.”

Davis, who is a Saratoga Springs, N.Y., native, added it is special to win a race named for the quaint town just nine miles from the track.

“It’s incredible. Any win here is special, so it’s nice to win, and being a hometowner, it’s great to see all the friends out here supporting me and everyone here,” Davis said. “So it’s always a great feeling to win."

The Ballston Spa marked Ozara’s third stakes start in eight weeks beginning with a third in the Eatontown (G3) on June 14 over good Monmouth Park turf. Clément said the filly’s class has allowed her to keep delivering quality performances.

“I was worried about the De La Rose, because we were wheeling her back quick, but I was upset with the race at Monmouth, because I think the ground got us beat,” Clément said. “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."

Clément said the First Lady (G1) on Oct. 4 at Keeneland is a logical next target. He also mentioned a potential trip to Del Mar late in the year for the Matriarch (G1), a race won by De La Rose winners Uni in 2018, Got Stormy in 2019, Viadera in 2020 and Regal Glory in 2021.

“You have to think about it. You have the Grade 1 at Keeneland potentially or at the end of the year the Matriarch,” Clément said. “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.”

José Ortiz said Cherie DeVaux-trained Deep Satin, who won the other division of the De La Rose last out, ran gamely with an ideal trip.

“I saved ground both turns. I was just second best today,” he said. “We are still very happy with the performance. A graded-stakes placing is huge for a filly, so we are happy with that."

Bred in Ireland by Fleche D’Or Partnership, Ozara banked $165,000 in victory while returning $9.20 on a $2 win ticket. Her seven wins from 13 outings also include victories in three Gulfstream Park stakes, taking the 2023 Wait a While, last year’s listed Ginger Brew and this year’s Monroe in April.