Roja ran pretty well in two dirt tries. But it was clear from her breeding that there was someplace she’d rather be than on the main track.

“This is what she wanted,” trainer Graham Motion said Sunday at Laurel Park, after the three-year-old Karakontie filly left the maiden ranks with a dominant win in her first try on turf.

Karakontie’s best runners – like the millionaires Princess Grace and She Feels Pretty – have done their best work on the lawn. And Roja’s siblings, including the Grade 3-placed Pappascat, have been turfers, too.

But after watching his charge breeze a sharp half-mile from the gate on the dirt Feb. 27, Motion decided to start her on the main track.

“She breezed really well on the dirt at Palm Meadow when I breezed her from the gate,” Motion said. “That’s why we took a shot. And she was very fast.”

In her debut at Tampa, she ran a good third going six furlongs. Shipped to Keeneland, she ran up close to the pace for a half-mile in a $110,000 maiden special weight race before backing out.

“When Irad [Ortiz, Jr.] rode her the last time, he said, ‘You’ve got to get her on the grass. That’s what she wants,’” Motion said. “He was right. He usually is.”

In today’s contest, a 5 ½-furlong maiden special on the turf, Roja settled nicely in third under Jaime Rodriguez in the early running, slipped through inside, and drew away to win by 4 ¼ lengths. Running time on firm turf was 1:01.94.

Somnium, a half-sister to 2022 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint winner Caravel and recent Jim McKay Turf Sprint winner Witty, was just up for second, a nose better than first-time starter Town Light.

Roja returned $4.80 as the 7-5 favorite. The exacta, with the second choice running second, paid $7.70 for a one-dollar wager.

Roja now has a win from three starts and earnings of $32,135. She is owned by Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who paid $70,000 for her as a yearling, and Madaket Stables LLC.

RACING NOTES Noted New York-based trainer Christophe Clement passed away Sunday at age 59 after a battle with metastatic uveal melanoma. Among his career highlights were wins in the 2014 Belmont Stakes, with Tonalist, and 2021 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf with Pizza Bianca, as well as over $184 million in purse earnings… Jaime Rodriguez added a second win in the third race, a first-level allowance going long on the turf, when he piloted Kake’s Arrow ($4.20) to an easy win for trainer Jamie Ness and D E A Thoroughbred Racing LLC… Mission North took the other allowance on the card, easily running down the talented Coringa to win. It was his first start on the flat since this past October and followed two wins over jumps. Forest Boyce was up for trainer Jack Fisher and owners Northwoods Stable…