When morning-line favorite Roses for Debra scratched with a fever the morning of the race, her stablemate Dontlookbackatall was more than happy to finish the job with a late-closing victory in the $200,000 Caress Stakes (G3T) at Saratoga Race Course.
The graded win was the first for the Pennsylvania-bred daughter of Peace and Justice . After graduating in her debut at the Spa against open company at 2, the Christophe Clement trainee honed her craft with a softer campaign for the majority of her 3-year-old season last year with the exception of a runner-up finish to Danse Macabre in the 2023 Glen Cove Stakes at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Dontlookbackatall returned at 4 better than ever, landing two consecutive black-type scores sprinting on the turf in the License Fee Stakes at Aqueduct and the Power by Far Stakes against state-breds at Parx Racing.
Even in the absence of her more accomplished barn mate, the Caress was a step up in class for Dontlookbackatall. Her job became a little less daunting, however, when she secured the services of leading rider Irad Ortiz Jr., who had initially been named to ride Roses for Debra.
Taking the filly further off the pace than she had been in her past races, the rider showed again why he is simply one of the best in Saturday's 5 1/2-furlong contest. Rating behind a three-way pace duel between Future Is Now, Kaufymaker, and Run for the Hills, Ortiz waited patiently with a more than willing Dontlookbackatall until daylight opened before them with a little more than an eighth-mile left to run. Revving into high gear, the white-faced filly dashed to the wire a half-length in front in a final time of 1:01.39 over a firm turf course.
Clement praised Ortiz's skillful timing in the race.
"Listen, (Dontlookbackatall) won great. Look here (pointing to the replay), Irad got her in stalking," Clement said. "You can see he is looking behind him to get in that spot—he loved that spot. He has plenty of horse and most people would have moved earlier. He is waiting and waiting and even now coming to the stretch they are all out, all of them, and look how cool he is still sitting. I mean, it's an extraordinary remarkable ride."
Danse Macabre, ever the consistent filly for trainer Kelsey Danner, raced up the fence late to grab second over front-running Future Is Now in her 4-year-old debut.
Dontlookbackatall returned $19.10 for a $2 win ticket.
Purchased for $150,000 by West Point Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Ocala Breeders' March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, Dontlookbackatall has banked $487,290 while running for West Point, Scarlet Oak Racing, and Titletown Racing Stables.
"(Dontlookbackatall has) been improving and her numbers are good; today is the best race lifetime so let's enjoy this win. She has won three stakes in a row, she is obviously pretty talented," Clement said, indicating that the Aug. 23 Smart N Fancy Stakes at the Spa could be on the horizon for the improving filly.
Dontlookbackatall, produced from the Arch mare Celtic Arch, became the first graded stakes winner for her sire, Blackstone Farm stallion Peace and Justice. The son of War Front stood the 2024 breeding season in Pennsylvania for a fee of $5,000.
