Dakotah Blue swings wide to upset Ontario Colleen
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ETOBICOKE, Ontario − Dakotah Blue annexed her first stakes in an upset in Saturday’s Grade 3 Ontario Colleen at Woodbine under a strong ride from Jose Campos.
The one-mile inner turf route featured a fast pace set by Happy Destination, who was tracked by Empty Handed and the favored Aretha on the backstretch.
Dakotah Blue ($21.30) raced three-wide some five lengths off the lead on the backstretch before mounting an outside rally en route to a half-length score, in a time of 1:35.20.
New York shipper Bandiagara, who was coming off a victory in the Penn Oaks, rallied wide from the rear of the field for second. Flowerhead finished third and was followed by Empty Handed, Smexy, Aretha, Happy Destination, and Slippers.
A Kentucky-bred daughter of Mendelssohn, Dakotah Blue had finished a belated fourth in her previous outing in allowance company.
“She’s a nice filly,” Campos said. “The last time, [she] broke a little bit slow from the gate, first time on the [inner turf]. We was a little bit far from the pace. This race, we talked about the race with [trainer Rachel Halden] and if we can fix this mistake, she’s going to be there.”
Dakotah Blue earned $105,000 of the $175,000 purse for Flying Zee Racing Stables.
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