The impressive KARAKONTIE 2-year-old winners just keep coming with the highly regarded Up Before the Dawn winning impressively on debut at Ellis Park.
Entered in a one-mile Maiden Special Weight on the turf, Up Before the Dawn broke from one of the inner gates in the 10-horse field before switching to a rail spot near the back of the field.
Having only one horse beat down the backstretch, Up Before the Dawn was joined by that last place runner as the field tightened up. Going into the turn, Up Before the Dawn was shifted to the outside to find a clear run for the win.
She still had work to do in the stretch, but Up Before the Dawn was up for the task. Taking the lead in the final furlong, Up Before the Dawn was allowed to gallop home on her own terms close to the line for a 1 ΒΎ length victory.
π π¨π£ ππππ’π₯π π§ππ πππͺπ‘ bursted with speed down the center of the turf course @EllisParkRacing to win at first asking for trainer @kelseyjdanner.@hazlewood1912 was aboard the NBS Stable homebred. #TwinSpiresReplay pic.twitter.com/j47ZUFDT9q
— TwinSpires Racing π (@TwinSpires) July 18, 2026
A homebred for NBS Stable trained by Kelsey Danner, she joins Agate as impressive Danner-trained juvenile winners for KARAKONTIE.
Up Before the Dawn is out of the stakes placed More Than Ready mare Agog, who is one of three stakes horses out of the stakes winning Cool Spell. That mareβs other runners include multiple stakes winner Coarsegold and Grade 3-placed Impressive Edge. Two of Agogβs sisters have also produced stakes winners as well.
Agog had a RAGING BULL filly in February of this year.
The KARAKONITE x More Than Ready mare cross is quickly proving to be highly successful with 11 winners from 11 runners including three stakes performers, led by KARAKONTIEβs 2025 Eclipse Award winning daughter She Feels Pretty.