Edgar Prado scored his third victory of the afternoon when he made a well-timed ride aboard 16-1 longshot Senada to win the 20th
running of the $125,000 Rood & Riddle Dowager (L) before 17,512
fans at Keeneland on Sunday. With the performance, the 4-year-old filly
by Pulpit earned the first stakes win of her career.
Senada
broke from post position 2 in the field of 11 fillies and mares,
3-year-olds and up, going 1½ miles on the turf. She raced near the back
of the field as 78-1 longshot Royal Madame led rivals through fractions
of :24.63, :49.46 and 1:14.90, widening her lead to as much as seven
lengths as the horses raced past the finish the first time.
Royal
Madame’s lead began to shorten on the backstretch and she was overtaken
by 6-5 favorite Cheetah (GB) around the final turn. Meanwhile,
Upperline and jockey James Graham made a four-wide move to catch Cheetah
and took a half-length lead with a furlong to run. Prado, who had
angled Senada to the outside entering the stretch, charged by Upperline
en route to a three-quarter-length victory.
Senada,
who won the race in 2:31.19, paid $35.40, $13 and $5.20. Upperline
returned $8.80 and $4.60. Cheetah finished three lengths behind in third
under Garrett Gomez and paid $3 to show.
Completing
the order of finish were Askbut I Won’ttell, Dyani, Hasay (GB), Grecian
Maiden, Endless Expanse (IRE), Miss Laa di Da (GB), Malibu Win and
Royal Madame.
The
victory was worth $75,000 to Senada, who scored the second win of her
career in 16 starts and increased her career bankroll to $184,876.
Trained by Barclay Tagg, she races for Roy and Gretchen Jackson’s Lael
Stables, who purchased her for $800,000 at the 2008 Keeneland September
Yearling Sale. Senada, who was bred by Stone Farm, is out of the Harlan
mare Owsley, whom Prado rode to win the 2002 WinStar Galaxy (GB) on the
Keeneland turf.
Prado also won the second race on Grigio ($3.40) and the fifth race on Silver Summation ($23.40).