Second in her stakes debut last month, KARAKONTIE’s Roja went one better on Saturday with a win in the Blue Sparkler Stakes.
The 5 ½ furlong turf sprint saw Roja break from the widest gate and immediately go to challenge for the lead. She and one other horse opened about a length on everyone else and battled around the turn before Roja took over the lead on her on going into the stretch.
Early in the stretch her longtime rival tried to stick with her, but that hope quickly faded as Roja motored away from the field.
The second placed runner closed slightly in the final furlong, but the Graham Motion trainee still had plenty between them with a 3 ½ length victory to her name.
#8 ROJA ($3.40) ran away with the $100,000 Blue Sparkler Stakes at @MonmouthPark. This was the first stakes win for the three-year-old Karakontie (@Gainesway) filly. Jaime Rodriguez was aboard for trainer @GrahamMotion and owners @MadaketStables and @EclipseTBP. pic.twitter.com/5td1slH3BW
— FanDuel Racing (@FanDuel_Racing) July 12, 2025
Racing for Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Madaket Stables, Roja has finished in the top three in four of five starts.
The C. Kidder bred is out of the stakes placed Redmeansgo, making her a half-sister to Grade 3-placed Pappascat and stakes placed Fate Factor. Pappascat is the dam of Grade 2 winner and three-time Grade 1-placed Pappacap.
This is also the family of champion Al Qasr with 12 stakes performers under Roja’s first two dams.
Roja is the fourth stakes winner of the year for KARAKONTIE and one of nine stakes performers for the stallion in 2025. Four stakes winners ties him with stallions such as Munnings, Mendelssohn, Liam’s Map, and Street Sense.