2025 Natalma Stakes Preview at Woodbine Racetrack

Key takeaways

• The Natalma Stakes (G1) at Woodbine offers a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf berth and features a deep 10-horse field led by local stakes winner Corsia Veloce and British invader Dance to the Music.
• Value plays stand out: Dixie Law brings strong local connections, Pina Colada could control the pace, and Deep Learning is the only runner proven at two turns.
• International shippers often shine here, but local and U.S. contenders with the right trip can upset, making this a wide-open and bettable race.

Juvenile turf fillies take the spotlight Saturday, September 13, at Woodbine Racetrack for the $500,000 Natalma Stakes (G1). The one-mile turf race, run on the inner course, not only offers a lucrative purse and top-level black type, but also automatic entry to the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar for the winner. A field of ten promising juvenile fillies line up to compete, including local stakes winner Corsa Veloce and British raider Dance to the Music. All runners are trying a top-level race for the first time.

One horse has completed the Natalma-Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf double before: Catch a Glimpse, who won them both in 2015 and is now the namesake of Woodbine’s local prep for the Natalma. Stephanie’s Kitten, third in the 2011 edition of the Natalma, won the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf and also won the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Turf in 2015. Other major winners include the champion and important broodmare Fanfreluche (1969), Queen’s Plate winner La Lorgnette (1984), Canadian Triple Crown winner Dance Smartly (1990), and Canadian Horse of the Year Alywow (1993).

The Natalma is part of Woodbine’s Turf Champions Day. In addition to the Natalma, the card also features the Summer Stakes (G1), a Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf prep; the Woodbine Mile (G1), a Breeders’ Cup Mile qualifier; as well as the Vigil (G3) and the Ontario Matron (G3) on the all-weather track.

2025 Natalma Stakes Information

• Race Date: Saturday, September 13, 2025
• Track: Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, Ontario
• Post Time: 5:02 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
• Distance: one mile on the inner turf course
• Age/Sex: two-year-old fillies
• Where to Watch: FanDuel TV
• Where to Bet: FanDuel Racing

Natalma Stakes Draw and Odds

This is the full field for the 2025 edition of the Natalma Stakes (G1), including post positions, trainers, jockeys, and morning-line odds.

Natalma Stakes Prep Race Results

The ten horses entered in the Natalma Stakes come out of seven different races. Fittingly, the race with the most last-out runners, three, is the Catch a Glimpse Stakes: the 6 ½-furlong local prep on August 16. Corsia Veloce rallied to win that race by 1 ½ lengths, outfinishing Sweet Fusion, with Dyna an even third another half length back.

One other horse comes out of a stakes race. Dance to the Music won the seven-furlong Sweet Solera (G3) on the grass at Newmarket on August 9, stalking the pace and battling on to win by a neck. None of the horses in the field come out of graded-stakes company, and she is the only one to come out of a group stakes.

The other six horses come out of maiden special weight races, with four racing at Woodbine and two elsewhere. Two come out of the same seven-furlong maiden race on the Woodbine grass on August 17, where the rallying Star Attraction got up to deny pacesetter Pina Colada by a nose. Dixie Law graduated by 1 ½ lengths in a six-furlong sprint on the Woodbine lawn, while La Culasse was third in a seven-furlong sprint at Woodbine on August 17, but not the same races her foes come out of.

Two runners come out of maiden wins in the United States. Hot Mash stalked the pace and drew off to win by 7 ¾ lengths in a 5 ½-furlong maiden dash at Ellis Park on August 11. Deep Learning, the only horse coming out of a two-turn race, rallied to win a 1 1/16-mile maiden special at Saratoga on August 8.

Natalma Stakes Contenders

These runners, organized by post position, are contesting the 2025 Natalma Stakes.

1. Corsia Veloce: The post is a challenge, as she is a juvenile drawn at the inside of a reasonably large field. However, she has an experience edge over many of her foes, and is one of only two two-time winners in the field. She took a nice step forward from her maiden win on all-weather to her stakes win on the lawn, and in both races she showed good tactical pace. She also showed, especially in her maiden win, an ability to dig in when challenged. In short, the price may be on the short side, but if jockey Fraser Aebly can work out a tracking trip from the inside post, she has a chance to be in the mix late.
2. Pina Colada: This Mark Casse trainee has two races underneath her, including some stakes experience, but she has yet to get all the way there. All things considered, her debut on the all-weather was an encouraging one: she broke poorly and managed to make a run. She got away better next out when stretching out and switching to turf, and just got caught by a nose in the end. And, though she is drawn near the inside, there isn’t a lot of speed in the race, so she may be the one to show initiative and force the field to catch her. Especially with a pedigree that should love this distance and more, there’s appeal even with the winless record so far.
3. Sweet Fusion: The “A” runner from the Casse barn, she graduated on debut going six furlongs on the lawn and ran a credible second to Corsia Veloce next out in the Catch a Glimpse. It is a concern that she was outfinished in the Catch a Glimpse, though, because not only does she go longer, but she is likely to have less pace to have to reel in this time around. Though trainer Mark Casse in general does well with stretch-out runners, she is likely to be an underlay coming from a stakes race and interests for underneath at best.
4. Dixie Law: Bet to favoritism on debut July 12 over the local course, she rallied and ran wonderfully to the money, clearing off to win by 1 ½ lengths. Pedigree-wise, she should take to the extra distance, and she could not have a better local jockey for a two-turn turf race than Rafael Hernandez. She does need to improve, but trainer Dale Desruisseaux has been excellent stretching horses out to a route for the first time, and the fact that she does not hail from a big-name barn means she could very well go off at a price in this race.
5. Dance to the Music: Charlie Appleby is as shrewd as it gets with shipping horses to North America for top-level prizes like this one. She hasn’t set a hoof wrong yet, winning a novice race at Newmarket in May and returning there to win a Group 3 there last month. She is bred to be a good one at a mile: though she stretches to that distance for the first time, she is a full sister to Space Blues, a 1 1/16-mile winner at age two and winner of the 2021 Breeders’ Cup Mile. If the tactical speed she showed in Europe translates to Canada, she could run an excellent race from this good middle gate.
6. Hot Mash: She comes in off of the flashiest win of anyone in the field, tracking the pace and running clear to win by 7 ¾ lengths. She takes a bigger step up in distance than anyone: 5 ½ furlongs last out to a mile for this. Whether that’s taken much too soon is a question, but trainer John Servis wins at a respectable 18% going a mile or more for the first time. The pedigree also suits—she is a Not This Time half-sister to Alcibiades (G1) winner Peace and War, and also half to the dam of Pat Day Mile (G2) winner Rushie.
7. Star Attraction: She needed her six-furlong debut, but woke up second-out when stretching out to seven furlongs and won by a nose, battling with Pina Colada late. The extra furlong should suit her well, though, being by Quality Road out of 2019 Canadian Horse of the Year Starship Jubilee, she may even want more time and distance in the long run. That said, she didn’t need a blazing pace to run a winning race last out, and she showed grit in the lane for jockey Pietro Moran, who returns to the irons.
8. Dyna: She is a two-start maiden for trainer Kevin Attard, but there are reasons to be optimistic. Her debut came against the boys, going six furlongs, a distance too short for her, but she tracked in range and missed by just a nose. Next out, in the Catch a Glimpse, she was beaten at odds-on but did have to deal with a rail draw and kept on with interest to the finish. Her effort came back fast enough to make her interesting, the stretch out to two turns suits her pedigree nicely, and jockey John Velazquez is both riding hot and making the most of his trips to Woodbine this year.
9. La Culasse: She debuted in a seven-furlong sprint over yielding ground last month, was bet down to favoritism, but never looked a threat. It’s a sign of confidence that Kevin Attard presses on and places her in a Grade 1 race, and she does get a swap from apprentice rider Pietro Moran to the more experienced Frankie Dettori. However, it really does become a game of having faith in her connections and any betting action on her come race day, because she needs to move forward a lot from that flat debut.
10. Deep Learning: This race is a rare top-level turf prize in North America that Chad Brown hasn’t claimed, and he takes a shot this year with Deep Learning. She has one important edge coming into the race—she is the only runner with a two-turn race underneath her. In fact, she cuts back after a debut win, going 1 1/16 miles. She rallied from midfield into a pace that wasn’t particularly fast, a positive since there is a good chance she won’t get a torrid pace to run at this time, either. Her debut came back fast, she is proven at two turns over an inner turf course, and she could stay out of trouble from the outside gate.

Natalma Stakes: 3 Best Bets

These are the three best bets in the 2025 Natalma Stakes:

1. Dixie Law (20-1)

Rafael Hernandez has won this race two of the last three years and comes in with another live horse this time around. Dixie Law does have to move forward in this first start against winners, but there are several reasons she can. She debuted at six furlongs, but being by Tiz the Law out of a Union Rags mare, there’s enough to suggest that she can take to the mile.

In terms of pace, there won’t be flying fractions up front unless some of the runners decide to completely change their running styles. Dixie Law rallied into a modest pace for the distance to break her maiden on debut, and could get a similar trip from a nice middle gate.

The price should be appealing compared to other major contenders. Her connections win often at Woodbine, including Hernandez winning some of their biggest races, but they will fly under the radar on a big race day where people who don’t bet Woodbine as often may gravitate toward familiar names from other tracks. But, in a race as competitive as this one, the locals are the way to go when looking for the right price.

2. Pina Colada (20-1)

Even though Mark Casse wins this race often, he doesn’t need the favorite to shine—last year, he won with long shot And One More Time. This year, he has a pair in the race, and the more interesting contender is his second-stringer, the maiden Pina Colada. In short, pace makes the race. And, the only one who has shown a desire to wing off to the lead is Pina Colada.

Sahin Civaci rode Pina Colada last out, got her out of the gate better than she broke on debut, and set the pace most of the way last out in a seven-furlong maiden race. She dug in when confronted, and lost by just a nose, giving some confidence that she can find something when the cavalry comes down the lane. But, she is the one likely to get the best of it: she is bred for the extra distance, she has a good chance to be left alone to nurse a comfortable pace, and if she moves forward at all in her third start, she could break her maiden on a very big stage indeed.

3. Deep Learning (5-2)

Especially with Dance to the Music likely to take a lot of money, that likely leaves Deep Learning as the second choice at lowest, and there is a lot to like about this Chad Brown trainee. The most appealing thing is the two-turn experience—Deep Learning is the only horse in the field who has gone past seven furlongs. She romped on debut in a 1 1/16-mile maiden special weight at Saratoga, a race that came back fast enough to suggest she has just the right kind of foundation for this step up in class. She also was able to settle off the pace, but not too far back, and rally into fractions that were not particularly fast.

It’s also a positive that Flavien Prat sees fit to come up to Woodbine to ride her. Prat rode her to victory at Saratoga, so there’s already some rapport there, and he has hit the board in six of the eight rides he has taken at Woodbine this year.

Natalma Stakes FAQ

Q: When is the Natalma Stakes?

A: The Natalma Stakes (or, for sponsorship purposes, the Johnnie Walker Natalma Stakes) happens on Saturday, September 13, 2025, at 5:02 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race is carded as the eighth of 12 on the card.

Q: Where is the Natalma Stakes?

A: The race happens at Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke, Ontario. Typically, the race is conducted over the outer E. P. Taylor turf course, but that is under renovation, and all races are happening on the inner turf. This means the race will be a two-turn mile, not the sweeping one-turn mile.

Q: Which trainer has the most wins in the Natalma Stakes?

A: Mark Casse won this race eight times between 2006 and 2024, most prominently with Catch a Glimpse (2015). He can carry his tally to nine if Pina Colada or Sweet Fusion wins in 2025.

Q: Who is the favorite for the Natalma Stakes?

A: Dance to the Music is the 2-1 morning-line favorite, and she should hold as the betting favorite to post time. She travels in for prodigious winner Charlie Appleby, and her Group 3 win at Newmarket makes her the only group-stakes or graded-stakes winner in the field.

Q: Who is the best Natalma Stakes jockey?

A: Todd Kabel leads all jockeys with five wins in this race between 1993 and 2002. Among jockeys entered in the 2025 edition of this race, Rafael Hernandez and Patrick Husbands lead with two wins each. Hernandez can win his third with Dixie Law, while Husbands can win his third with Sweet Fusion.

Q: Who won the Natalma Stakes in 2024?

A: And One More Time jumped straight up from a maiden win to the big time in 2024, winning the race for trainer Mark Casse and jockey Rafael Hernandez. Casse returns with Pina Colada, ridden by Sahin Civaci, and Sweet Fusion, ridden by Patrick Husbands. Hernandez rides Dixie Law for Dale Desruisseaux.

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