SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Ozara and Deep Satin got the 2025 Saratoga summer meet off to an exciting start here Thursday, parlaying perfect, pace-stalking trips into narrow and hard-fought victories in their respective divisions of the $135,000 De La Rose Stakes.
Ozara won the second and faster split of the one-mile De La Rose, running down the game, pacesetting Spinning Colors to register a half-length decision. Movin’ On Up, the even-money choice, finished another neck back in third.
About two hours earlier, Deep Satin used similar tactics to overtake In Our Time by a neck in the shadow of the wire. Heredia fell a similar margin shy of second money after rallying from near the rear of the well-bunched field in the opening leg of the De La Rose.
Ozara took advantage of the rapid pace set by Spinning Colors to notch her fourth career stakes victory and second this season while winning for the second time in as many starts over the local turf course. She also benefited from a well-judged, ground-saving ride by Dylan Davis, who patiently waited along the rail until settling into the stretch. He then eased outside the embattled leaders and called upon Ozara for her final run a furlong from the wire.
“I thought Dylan gave her a brilliant ride, saving every inch of ground,” trainer Miguel Clement said. “I still think the turf course is speed-favoring, and being forwardly placed made the difference today. She’s very consistent, has tactical speed and a great turn of foot. Special mention to Cheyenne Stable for keeping her in training and I’m delighted we could reward them with another stakes victory. She’s going to be a very valuable broodmare one day.”
Ozara covered the mile over a firm course in 1:34.25 seconds, her final time 1.24 seconds faster than Deep Satin completed the distance in the opening leg. Ozara returned $10.20.
The trip also made all the difference for Deep Satin, one which her rider, Jose Ortiz, had mapped out prior to the race, according to winning trainer Cherie DeVaux.
“Jose said there was speed to his outside, the 5 and 8 [Edict and In Our Time], and he wanted to sit right behind that, to not be on the lead,” DeVaux noted in the winner’s circle immediately after the race. “And it materialized just how he’d written it up in his head. She broke, put him in the spot, and she came through, which was great.”
The De La Rose was the second stakes victory for Deep Satin, a daughter of American Pharoah, who captured the Virginia Oaks in her stakes debut last summer at Colonial Downs. She had made two previous starts this season, finishing a game second over a yielding track in a second-level allowance race at Keeneland before returning to finish fifth in her graded stakes debut last month in the Grade 3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs.
DeVaux said she felt the De La Rose was her up-and-coming filly’s best effort to date.
"She ran her best speed figure in her comeback race, then ran fine in her last start, but I think she bounced a little bit. And the old adage of third off the layoff proved well today,” said DeVaux. “I just hope she comes out of this in good order and we can come up with a plan for the rest of the campaign for her.”
Deep Satin, who is owned in partnership by John Gunther and Eurowest Bloodstock Services, went postward a tepid 2-1 favorite and paid $6.70.
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