Conceit Proves Worthy of Praise in Dogwood
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Photo: Coady Media/Renee Torbit
Conceit (outside) rallies to win the Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs
Taylor Made Stallions' leading sire Not This Time has grabbed headlines this week at the Keeneland September Yearling Sale, where a dozen of his yearlings have sold for $1 million or more.
But his 3-year-old fillies on the racetrack have also done their part to command attention, as evidenced Sept. 19. Bodacious Bay took the $1 million Cotillion Stakes (G1) at Parx Racing, and Conceit captured the $299,000 Dogwood Stakes (G3) by a head during a Downs After Dark card at Churchill Downs.
While Bodacious Bay was a comfortable winner, Conceit only led for one or two strides of the 7-furlong Dogwood, catching runner-up Explora and third-place Movie Night🔥 right at the wire after those two duked it out throughout. Their front-running battle set the stage for Conceit's rally from fourth in the five-horse field under a perfectly timed ride from Mario Gutierrez.
She crossed the wire in a final time of 1:22.60 on the fast main track following early splits of :23.13 and :45.12. She paid $13.46 for a $2 win wager.
The winner, a homebred for Juddmonte and a full sister to 2025 Jeff Ruby Steaks (G3) winner Final Gambit , is out of the Tapit mare Pachinko .
Winning trainer Brad Cox said he was pleased for owner/breeder Juddmonte. "It means a lot when a filly you raise wins a graded stake, and she's by a really good stallion, and it's a big win," Cox said.