Conceit delivered a late rally to win the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs on September 19, catching Explora and Movie Night near the wire in a tightly contested seven furlong stakes for three year old fillies.
Explora went to the front and set the pace, covering the opening quarter in 23.13 seconds. Movie Night stayed close and the two leaders reached the half mile in 45.12 seconds. Conceit settled behind that duel before producing her run through the stretch.
The Juddmonte homebred closed steadily in the final furlong and reached the leaders in time to take the photo. Explora held second and Movie Night finished third. Conceit completed the seven furlongs in 1:22.60.
Conceit continues her rise
The result gave Conceit her first graded stakes victory. Trained by Brad Cox, the daughter of Not This Time entered the Dogwood after consecutive wins at Churchill Downs and Ellis Park, including the Audubon Oaks on August 9.
Her Dogwood performance was a different test. Rather than controlling the race, Conceit benefited from settling behind a demanding early pace and finishing strongly when the leaders began to tire.
Explora remains an important Breeders’ Cup filly
Explora entered the Dogwood after a five length victory in the Test Stakes at Saratoga. She had previously been identified as a candidate for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, making the Dogwood an important late season checkpoint for that division.
Although Explora was beaten at Churchill Downs, she remained competitive after participating in the pace from the start. The result also puts Conceit into the broader conversation among leading three year old female sprinters as the autumn stakes schedule develops.
OTB Bet coverage
Read our Dogwood Stakes preview for the field entering the race. Follow OTB Bet News for additional confirmed stakes results and Breeders’ Cup developments.
Featured image is illustrative and does not depict Conceit or the 2026 Dogwood Stakes. Photo by Jin Woo Lee, used under the Unsplash License.
