Coady Photography
Darren Rogers/Churchill Downs
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Lady Radler, sent off as the longest shot in field of nine 3-year-old fillies, emerged with the lead with three-sixteenths of a mile to the finish and ran away to a 2 ¾-length victory over Metaphysical in Saturday night’s 48th running of the $299,750 Dogwood Stakes (Grade III) – the feature race before a crowd of 12,744 at Churchill Downs for the final “Downs After Dark” event of the year.
Breaking from post position No. 5, Lady Radler sat just off early leaders B G Warrior and Twice as Sweet, who rattled off early fractions of :22.26 and :45.48. Under a snug hold from Castanon down the backstretch and into the turn, Lady Radler was finally let run at the top of the stretch as she tipped outside of Twice as Sweet, took over in upper stretch and drew away from a chasing Metaphysical and a closing Yesternight.
Campaigned by Chicago-based trainer Michael Campbell for owner George Mellon’s Mellon Patch Inc., Lady Radler covered seven furlongs in 1:22.71 under jockey Jesus Castanon.
“I’ve been on her before and she’s a really nice horse. I’ve worked her and I always thought she would breakthrough in graded stakes company. Tonight, she did just that and I’m very proud of her,” said Castanon.
The $178,800 first prize jumped Lady Radler’s earnings to $371,200 from a record of 5-2-1 in 10 starts.
Sent off at 23-1, Lady Radler paid $48.40, $18.44 and $10.44. Metaphysical, the 5-2 second betting choice ridden by Ricardo Santana Jr., returned $4.24 and $3.02. Yesternight, the 5-2 favorite with James Grahamup, was 1 ¾ lengths back of the runner-up and paid $3.64 to show.
Twice as Sweet, Santa Fe Gold, Alexa Lou, B G Warrior, Norah G and Flamand completed the order of finish.
Click here to see a replay of the race on Twitter-X.
“I’ve been on her before and she’s a really nice horse,” Castanon said. “I’ve worked her, and I always thought she would breakthrough in graded stakes company. Tonight, she did just that and I’m very proud of her.”
This was the second stakes victory for Lady Radler but first against graded stakes company. In May, she won the $50,000 Goldfinch at Prairie Meadows.
Lady Radler is a daughter of Kantharos out of the London News (SAF) mare Sally Bowles (SAF) and was bred in Kentucky by Stonestreet Thoroughbred Holdings LLC.
The Dogwood is named for the hardy, blooming tree that adds so much beauty to the spring landscape in Kentucky.
