Reagan’s Flame returned to Woodbine on Saturday and made the most of a drastically reduced field, powering away from her rivals to win the $175,000 Seaway Stakes (G3) over seven furlongs.
Reagan’s Flame Wins Seaway Stakes
The five-year-old, ridden by Edgard Zayas for trainer Saffie Joseph Jr., settled just behind the early leader before taking control in the closing stages. The victory marked her second graded success at Woodbine and further strengthened her record on the track’s Tapeta surface.
The Seaway Stakes was originally expected to feature eight runners, but four were withdrawn before the race. Austere and defending champion Elysian Field were scratched by veterinarians, while Bessie Abott and Creed’s Gold were removed by the stewards. That left a compact four-runner field for the Grade 3 contest.
Zayas broke Reagan’s Flame slightly outward from the gate, but the mare quickly recovered and briefly showed the way. Uphill Dance then moved through along the rail under Jose Campos and took charge during the opening furlong.
Uphill Dance reached the quarter-mile mark in 23.41 seconds, with Reagan’s Flame tracking in second. Quadruple raced in third and Scat Girl remained at the rear.
The order stayed much the same through the turn, with Uphill Dance posting a half-mile split of 46.04 seconds. Zayas began asking Reagan’s Flame for a stronger response approaching the five-sixteenths pole, and the mare gradually moved alongside the leader.
Reagan’s Flame took command inside the eighth pole and quickly established separation. The daughter of Flameaway crossed the finish line three and a quarter lengths clear, completing the seven furlongs in 1:22.64. The six-furlong split was 1:09.93.
Uphill Dance held second, with Quadruple another three and a quarter lengths back in third. Scat Girl completed the order, five lengths behind Quadruple.
The win continued a productive season for Reagan’s Flame at Woodbine. She first made her mark at the Toronto track in May when she captured the Grade 3 Whimsical Stakes, producing a strong late run to secure her first graded victory of the year.
She later finished fifth in the Grade 3 Royal North on the inner turf before returning to Tapeta for the Grade 3 Hendrie Stakes, where she charged home for third behind Creed’s Gold and Time To Dazzle.
Saturday’s result took Reagan’s Flame to eight wins, five seconds and two thirds from 23 career starts. Her record on synthetic surfaces is particularly notable, with three victories from four starts, including both of her graded wins at Woodbine.
The performance also underlined how well the mare has adapted to Woodbine’s Tapeta. After building her résumé across different surfaces, Reagan’s Flame has found another level when racing on the Toronto track’s synthetic course.
With another strong Woodbine performance now on the record, attention will turn to Joseph’s next move. A possible target is the 6½-furlong Grade 2 Presque Isle Masters on September 18, giving Reagan’s Flame an opportunity to carry her current form into another major synthetic-track assignment.
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