Lady Radler ($48.40) has first graded win in Dogwood; Xigera takes Seneca

The theme was firsts in the two stakes for 3-year-old fillies contested Saturday night under the lights at Churchill Downs. Lady Radler earned her first graded stakes win in the Grade 3, $300,000 Dogwood Stakes, and Xigera earned her first win on dirt in the $175,000 Seneca Overnight Stakes.

Lady Radler sprung a $48.40 upset as the longest shot on the board in the wide-open field of nine for the Dogwood. The filly and Jesus Castanon raced in fourth early, as up front B G Warrior led Twice as Sweet by a pressured head through sharp early splits of 22.26 seconds for the quarter and 45.48 for the half. As the pacesetters began to tire approaching the stretch, Castanon angled Lady Radler four wide for clear sailing. The filly made a strong bid once straightened away, and powered clear in the stretch to win by 2 3/4 lengths.

The final time for the seven furlongs was 1:22.71.

“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 break through in graded stakes company. Tonight she did just that and I’m very proud of her.”

Metaphysical, who had been seventh after the opening quarter, made steady progress to wind up a clear second. It was 1 3/4 lengths back to Yesternight in third. Twice as Sweet, Santa Fe Gold, Alexa Lou, B G Warrior, Norah G, and Flamand completed the order of finish.

Lady Radler, who is trained by Michael Campbell, did not miss the board as a juvenile, finishing second in the Myrtlewood Stakes at Keeneland last October, then third in the Sandpiper Stakes at Tampa Bay in December. This year, a more inconsistent campaign resulted in her longshot status on Saturday. Although she won the Goldfinch Stakes at Prairie Meadows, she was more recently eighth in the Lady Erie on Presque Isle's Tapeta.

Xigera ($7.80) and jockey Julien Leparoux had a straightforward trip in the Seneca, the two-turn companion race to the Dogwood for the division. The filly tracked She's Lookin Lucky a length back through moderate opening splits of 24.01 and 48.07. She began to inch up on her leading the backstretch, went by as she pleased and opened up three lengths in the stretch, and was much the best to win by 6 1/4 lengths while under wraps in the final stages.

The time for the 1 1/16 miles was 1:41.92.

She's Lookin Lucky was second by a length over Grade 2 winner Taxed. Sabra Tuff, Poblano, Grade 3 winner Fun and Feisty, and Champagne Calling completed the order of finish in a solid field.

Xigera had earned her three previous career wins on turf, including a score in the Tepin Stakes in July at Ellis Park. In her only prior outing on dirt, she crossed the line a troubled fourth, promoted to third on a disqualification, in the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland last October.

“She was super impressive tonight,” trainer Phil Bauer said. “We’ve always been super confident with her in the mornings, but to run like that is something special. … We knew the 3-year-old filly division was a little murky - especially on dirt. Once we brought her home, we thought this would be a really good spot to get her back on dirt.”