The $500,000 Natalma Stakes (G1) is Woodbine’s premier early-season test for 2-year-old fillies at a mile on Woodbine’s inner turf. It is a Breeders’ Cup Challenge “Win, and You’re In” race for the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 20.
The race was first run in 1965, named for Natalma, who is the dam of Northern Dancer, and has been a Grade 1 since 2016. Canadian and American Hall of Famer Mark Casse holds the trainer record with eight winners and sends out five on Saturday.
Notable winners include Dance Smartly, Catch a Glimpse, La Pelosa, Wild Beauty, Last Call, She Feels Pretty, and One More Time, as well as last year’s winner Corsia Veloce.
Lamirada (5-2), an Army Mule filly, stretches out and makes her turf debut after breaking her maiden by 11 ¾ lengths at 6 ½ furlongs on debut a month ago. Trainer Josie Carroll and jockey Fraser Aebly, who teamed to win last year’s Natalma with Corsia Veloce, give this filly an extra shot despite her first start on turf and first try at a mile. She looks like a filly who can sit off the pace and explode.
Voyager (4-1), a daughter of Justify, broke her maiden last out at Saratoga at 8 ½ furlongs on the turf after a pair of seconds in her first two starts. She is the most likely win candidate for Casse and is expected to race from just off the pace or mid-pack rather than on the lead and should handle the slight cutback in distance. She gets the services of Hall of Fame Jockey Javier Castellano for the first time.
Embouteillage (5-1) is a Wertheimer et Frère homebred by Kingman out of Grade 2 winner Mitchell Road, who is a half-sister to Kentucky Derby (G1) winner Country House.
Embouteillage won her only start, a 5½-furlong turf maiden at Saratoga on August 5, rallying from mid-pack to win by 1 ¼ lengths at 15-1.
“We liked her going into it,” said Motion, who won the 2019 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with Sharing. “I think when it comes to 2-year-olds, you are always a little surprised when they win the first time, but we did think very highly of her when she ran that day.
“She was doing everything well ahead of the race, and that’s what gave us confidence she had the ability to run well.”
Motion has kept her in training at his Maryland base of Fair Hill since. The concern is whether she will settle over a one-turn mile, but if she does, her pedigree and late kick make her a leading contender under Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez.
“I worry that they [2-year-olds] might be a little aggressive early on going a one-turn mile, so that is always a concern. But she is doing well, and hopefully, that translates into a big race this weekend.”
Cleverly named De la Renta (6-1) is by Oscar Performance, the 2018 Woodbine Mile (G1) winner, out of the Uncle Mo mare Zza Zza Zoom and is unbeaten in two starts. She broke her maiden in gate-to-wire fashion over the Tapeta surface here on July 19, then switched to turf and beat males in the $150,000 Soaring Free Stakes at 6 ½ furlongs on Aug. 15 despite a very green effort. Trainer Kevin Attard has always said Natalma was the long-term target. She is a tactical type who should sit close to the pace, and jockey Umberto Rispoli takes over.
Runaway Bride (8-1), owned by former MLB star Jason Werth’s Icon Racing, is a daughter of Charlatan out of the Bayern mare American Model. She graduated on debut at Saratoga on July 24, breaking slowly in a 5 ½-furlong turf maiden, rallying from last to win by three-quarters of a length at 13-1 for trainer Whit Beckman. Her dam is a half-sister to multiple Grade 1 winner American Gal. She is a deep closer who will need a strong pace and a clear late run. Jockey Edgard Zayas replaces Tyler Gaffalione.
“We didn’t have a real great sense of who and what she was until she ran that race,” Werth explained. “When she turned for home and got out in the middle, [Tyler] Gaffalione was on her; she found some traffic and then had to re-rally. That’s when you got to see her talent, her strides, and her closing speed.”
Royal Foxtrot (10-1) is by Olympiad out of Duchess Dancer, by Congrats. The maiden filly is an Ontario-bred who sold for $150,000 at Keeneland September and finished second, beaten 3½ lengths, in the Catch a Glimpse Stakes on August 15, earning her first black type.
Drawn widest, she is a mid-pack or wide-closing type who has already shown she can handle Woodbine turf. Jockey Emma-Jayne Wilson won this race in 2020 with Lady Speightspeare.
Cattrall (12-1) is Attard’s second in the field and is making her first start against winners after breaking her maiden at second asking at a grassy 6 ½ furlongs three weeks ago. She is a presser mid-pack stalker who is another who should appreciate the extra distance after shorter local prep work. Pietro Moran rides.
Bounce Back (15-1), a maiden with a second in her only start at 6 ½ furlongs on the turf, is another Casse trainee. The Hard Spun filly is likely to come from mid-pack or farther back in the early stages and will need an honest pace in front of her for her first trip around two turns. Junior Alvarado will ride.
Nicki Knows Best (20-1), another one of the five Casse runners, is facing winners for the first time after breaking her maiden two weeks ago at first asking over the all-weather at a mile and 70 yards. The daughter of Mendelssohn figures as a mid-pack or stalking filly who can save ground and finish. Casse’s volume in this race is always dangerous.
Ez Miss Sassy (20-1) is Casse’s fourth starter and winless so far in four starts. She projects as a mid-pack or closing type. Jockey Romero Maragh knows the Woodbine turf well, but she will need to take a step forward at this mile distance against this level of competition.
Mo Cookie (20-1) won her debut at Woodbine and later finished unplaced in both the My Dear Stakes and the Catch a Glimpse Stakes in her next two starts. The daughter of Modernist is a local runner who has shown good early speed, but she will need to improve her finishing kick stretching to a mile against this group. Kendrick Carmouche will ride for trainer Mike De Paulo.
| 1 | Mo Cookie | Kendrick Carmouche | Mike De Paulo | 20-1 |
| 2 | De La Renta | Umberto Rispoli | Kevin Attard | 6-1 |
| 3 | Nicki Knows Best | Rafael Hernandez | Mark E. Casse | 20-1 |
| 4 | Voyager | Javier Castellano | Mark E. Casse | 4-1 |
| 5 | Bounce Back | Junior Alvarado | Mark E. Casse | 15-1 |
| 6 | Lamirada | Fraser Aebly | Josie Carroll | 5-2 |
| 7 | Embouteillage | John Velazquez | H. Graham Motion | 5-1 |
| 8 | Runaway Bride | Edgard Zayas | D. Whitworth Beckman | 8-1 |
| 9 | EZ Miss Sassy | Romero Maragh | Mark E. Casse | 20-1 |
| 10 | Cattrall | Pietro Moran | Kevin Attard | 12-1 |
| 11 | Royal Foxtrot | Emma-Jayne Wilson | Mark E. Casse | 10-1 |
Last Updated on 09/10/2026
The writing team at US Racing is comprised of both full-time and part-time contributors with expertise in various aspects of the Sport of Kings.
