Candy Flower held the lead from the race's opening strides, but did not have enough left to hold off a late-stretch bid from favorite Orglandes (FR) in the Zagora Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y.
Mike Maker trainee Candy Flower was on the lead first time under the wire in the 1 1/2-mile Zagora, with Always Shopping and Orglandes taking up second and third. Maintaining a three-length advantage throughout, Candy Flower set a steady pace, logging fractions of :24.92 for the first quarter, :49.63 for the half-mile, and 1:15.10 for six furlongs. She looked poised to take the field gate to wire into the far turn, where her lead shrunk to a length as the field entered the stretch.
Irad Ortiz Jr. took Orglandes to the outside on the far turn, as Beautiful Lover pulled even with Candy Flower in the Belmont straightaway. Candy Flower battled back, even with Beautiful Lover, but Ortiz Jr. had Orglandes set down for a drive. She caught the two frontrunners in the race's final strides, getting up to win by a neck. Beautiful Lover was second, while Candy Flower held on for third. Hungry Kitten, Lovely Lucky, Always Shopping, and Go Big Blue Nation rounded out the order of finish.
The final time for the 1 1/2 miles was 2.29.28. Find this race's chart here.
Orglandes paid $3.50, $2.90, and $2.40. Beautiful Lover paid $5.00 and $3.40. Candy Flower paid $6.70.
Bred in France by SA Franklin Finance and Elisabeth Vidal, Orglandes is by Le Havre (IRE) out of the Dansili (GB) mare Influence (FR). Trained by Chad Brown, she is owned by Michael Dubb, Madaket Stables, Wonder Stables, and Michael J. Caruso. Orglandes was consigned by Coulonces Sales and sold to Sylvain Vidal for $88,245 at the 2017 Arqana Deauville October Yearlings Sale. Her win in the Zagora is the 5-year-old mare's first victory of 2021, for a lifetime record of five wins in 14 starts and career earnings of $307,022.
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