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‘Better And Better': Ozara Wins Ballston Spa For ‘Red-Hot' Miguel Clement Barn
'Better And Better': Ozara Wins Ballston Spa For 'Red-Hot' Miguel Clement Barn originally appeared on Paulick Report.
Cheyenne Stable LLC's Ozara secured her first graded stakes win in the Grade 2 Ballston Spa Stakes for 4-year-old and older fillies and mares going 1 1/16 miles on the turf at Saratoga on Aug. 8.'It's nice to be hanging with the red-hot Miguel Clement stable,' Cheyenne Stable's owner Everett Dobson, elected the chairman of The Jockey Club on July 30, told Saratoga Live. 'This filly's just gotten better and better. I don't know what her upside is, but every race she just gets a little better.'
Ozara broke the quickest of the seven-horse field from post 3, but was taken back behind the pacesetters under jockey Dylan Davis. The 4-year-old daughter of Lope De Vega sat in a joint-third to the inside of Ocean Club throughout the first turn and backstretch. Race leader Edict set fractions of :23 flat, and :46.69, under outside pressure from No Mo Candy. Ozara bided her time on the rail behind the leaders.'She likes to break well, but you kinda let her get to where she likes to get in a good rhythm with her head, and she gets a little keen, but I allow her to let her think she's going to be in control,' Davis told Saratoga Live. 'She kinda creeps up into the backside, but that actually helps me get a better position.''She switches off nicely and then she's just waiting for me to give her her cue,' Davis added.
In the stretch, Davis slightly bumped rival Deep Satin while muscling Ozara to clear racing room outside of tiring leader Edict. Once Ozara had a path, she ran down Saffie Joseph-trained No Mo Candy and won by 1 ½ lengths.'Johnny (Velazquez, rider of Edict) ended up not having as much horse as I thought turning for home, so I was able to just move myself out into a clear spot,' Davis told Saratoga Live. 'I gave her one tap on the left hand, and she just responded really well. She took me nicely to the wire.'Ozara paid $9.20 to win. No Mo Candy was second, and Deep Satin was third. The final time was 1:39.65 on firm turf.
The bay filly now has seven wins, two seconds, and two thirds from 13 career starts. She has won three stakes this year, with the G2 score joining the De La Rose Stakes on July 10 at Saratoga and the Monroe Stakes at Gulfstream in Miguel Clement told NYRA Communications that Ozara could soon end up in Grade 1 company, with the G1 First Lady on Oct. 4 at Keeneland or G1 Matriarch in November at Del Mar as potential was bred in Ireland by the Fleche D'Or Partnership and purchased for $416,346 at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2022 by Mike Ryan, agent.
This story was originally reported by Paulick Report on Aug 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
