KARAKONTIE’s Grade 2 winning daughter Roja stayed perfect in 2026 on Saturday with a win in the Andy Guest S. at Colonial Downs.
Coming here after her win in the Intercontinental S. (G2) last out, Roja went off as the heavy favorite in the 5 ½ turf race against a field of five others.
With Manny Franco aboard, Roja flew out of the gate but had She’s a Tempest push her in the early stages with the pair engaging in a duel around the turn. That mare dropped back when they hit the stretch to allow Roja time to build a lead before the late rush.
That late rush came into the final sixteenth of a mile, but Roja had a big enough lead to hold them all off and won by half a length.
This was the Graham Motion trainee’s third win in three starts this year and her fourth consecutive victory. Raced by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables, the KARAKONTIE 4-year-old has won five of her eight starts with just one off the board finish in her career.
Bred by C. Kidder, Roja is one of three stakes performers out of the four-time winning Redmeansgo, who was a stakes placed runner as well. Redmeansgo has produced nine winners from 11 to race with her other winners including Grade 3-placed Pappascat and multiple stakes placed Fate Factor.
Pappascat has become a successful broodmare as well with her foals including Grade 2 winner and multiple Grade 1-placed Pappacap and Grade 3 winner Boppy O. Her two-time winning daughter Tynan is also the dam of Grade 1 winner and $3 million 2-year-old purchase Brant.
KARAKONTIE’s runners include two champions and 21 blacktype winners, led by Grade 1 winners She Feels Pretty and Spendarella.