Mutamakina a fifth top-level winner for Nathaniel in E. P. Taylor Stakes success

Having already won the Dance Smartly Stakes, Mutamakina used similar pace-stalking tactics to capture the E. P. Taylor Stakes over the same course and distance at Woodbine on Sunday, providing her sire Nathaniel with a fifth top-flight winner to boot.

Owned by Al Shira'aa Farms, Mutamakina was initially campaigned in France with Carlos Laffon-Parias before moving stateside to Christophe Clement's barn last fall and winning three Graded races. She has five wins from 16 starts and prize-money of $634,509.

Bred in Britain by Widgham Stud, Mutamakina is out of the Danehill mare Joshua's Princess, who has produced seven winners from as many starters and delivered a Camelot colt this year. Mutamakina's third dam is European Horse of the Year Ridgewood Pearl.

Shawn Dugan purchased Mutamakina for 100,000gns from New England Stud's consignment at Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2017.

Jockey Dylan Davis was back aboard the five-year-old for Clement. Mutamakina pressed the pace in second, and while she had control a quarter-mile out in the Dance Smartly before a half-length victory, it was a closer call.

She did not head pacesetter Kalifornia Queen until close to the finish, while stablemate La Dragontea rallied from last of ten to come within a neck at the wire.

"She ran well over here [last out in the Dance Smartly] and we saw an opportunity again to bring her out here," Davis said. "Christophe, first off, did a great job of getting her here. I've been breezing her, setting up for this race, and she's been breezing well and maintained herself and we knew that she would be tough coming here."

She handled everything great," Davis added. "Last time she put herself in a great position laying second. Today, again, she got her nerves going a little bit more than previously, but she put herself in a great position putting herself second.

"We slowed down the pace and she was handling it well for me and I just needed her to finish strong. Once she got a head in front there at eighth pole she was digging in nicely. She handled the turf well today."

La Dragontea, winner of the Canadian Stakes at Woodbine, flew home under Joel Rosario to beat Kalifornia Queen into third by a neck. Kalifornia Queen had led the field into the straight, crawling through fractions of :27.26, :54.46, 1:20.84, and 1:45.35 over the heavy going.

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