Dogtag loops the competition to take Possibly Perfect Stakes

Dogtag closed from fifth to win her first stakes in California in Sunday’s $81,600 Possibly Perfect Stakes for fillies and mares at Santa Anita, giving jockey Flavien Prat his fourth win on the nine-race program.

Dogtag was 4-5 in a field of seven and won by a comfortable 1 1/4 lengths over 10-1 Don’t Blame Judy in the race at 1 1/4 miles on turf. The style of the win was the opposite of what Prat and trainer Richard Mandella projected. They anticipated Dogtag would be near the front.

“I thought I’d be closer than that,” Prat said. “She broke fine and she found herself a little farther back than I thought. It was her first time at a mile and quarter.

“I wanted to get her to relax.”

Dogtag ($3.60) raced about four lengths behind pacesetter Desert Oasis, who set fractions of 23.70 seconds for the opening quarter-mile and 48.20 for a half-mile. With a four-wide rally, Dogtag reached contention and took the lead in early stretch.

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“She surprised me,” Prat said. “She jumped on the bridle. I didn’t think she’d be so quick. It was a good surprise.”

Dogtag, who races for the LNJ Foxwood Stable of Larry, Nancy and Jaime Roth, was timed in 2:00.69 and earned a career-best Beyer Speed Figure of 89.

Prat, who leads all riders at the Santa Anita winter-spring meeting, had four wins on Sunday for the third time at the current winter-spring meeting. He won a career-best six race on the May 17 program.

“It was a good day,” Prat said.

Don’t Blame Judy closed from sixth to finish a head in front of 9-1 Pretty Point, who was last for the first half-mile. Pretty Point was third in the Grade 1 American Oaks for 3-year-old fillies in December.

Desert Oasis finished fourth in the Possibly Perfect Stakes, followed by Strike At Dawn, Streak of Luck, and Out of Balance.

Dogtag, a 4-year-old filly by War Front, has won 4 of 9 starts and earned $247,511. Dogtag, who began her career with trainer Chad Brown in New York, won the P.G. Johnson Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Saratoga in 2018 and the Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Pimlico in May 2019.

Dogtag joined Mandella’s stable over the winter. The Possibly Perfect Stakes was Dogtag’s third start for his stable and second win, preceded by an allowance race with a $62,500 claiming option at a mile on turf on May 16.

“I think she’s getting better as we go,” Mandella said.