Brown Seeks Fourth Stella Artois Gallorette (G3) with Elysea’s World

By David Joseph —-

Irish-Bred Filly Tops Competitive Field of 10 in $150,000 Stakes

BALTIMORE – Saturday’s 66th running of the $150,000 Stella Artois Gallorette (G3), Pimlico Race Course’s top stakes for older turf fillies and mares, drew a competitive field of 10 who will contest its 1 1/16-mile trip.

Named for William Brann’s 1946 champion older mare, Hall of Fame inductee and iconic Maryland-bred, the Gallorette is rich in history, with its past winners including fellow Hall of Famer Searching and Mr. Prospector’s dam Gold Digger during the fixture’s 1952-72 main track tenure, as well as 2012 champion turf mare Zagora and three-time Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1)-placed winner Film Maker in recent times.

If it is a graded turf stakes for fillies and mares, trainer Chad Brown likely has a serious player entered. The top-tier operation goes after an unprecedented fourth Gallorette when it sends forth Sheep Pond Partners and All Pro Racing’s Elysea’s World, a lightly raced 4-year-old daughter of Champs Elysees who looks for her first added-money victory after placing in a pair of graded stakes in her last two starts, chasing Godolphin’s divisional leader Dickinson.

Last out, she was a rallying second to Dickinson, who she won’t have to face in the Gallorette, beaten a diminishing half-length in the Hillsborough (G2) March 11 at Tampa Bay Downs. Joel Rosario returns to ride Elysea’s World from Post 7.

Brown’s previous Gallorette success came with Watsdachances (2015), Pianist (2013) and Zagora (2012).

One of the more promising members of her generation last year, Stuart S. Janney, III homebred On Leave returns to kick off her 4-year-old season. In 2016, the Shug McGaughey-trained daughter of War Front was a two-time stakes winner and four-time winner overall from five starts, including a tour-de-force in the Sands Point (G2) at Belmont Park in September. If victorious on Saturday, the gray filly will follow in the footsteps of older half-brother Ironicus, who was a rousing victor in the 2015 Dixie (G2) for the identical connections. Jose Ortiz rides from Post 6.

Zipessa boasts the strongest class lines coming into the Gallorette, having faced Grade 1 company in three of her four previous tries. Holding her own, she was third in last season’s Beverly D. (G1) at Arlington International, second in the Rodeo Drive (G1) and a closing fifth in the Breeders’ Cup Filly & Mare Turf (G1) — both at Santa Anita.

Trained by Mike Stidham for Empyrean Stables, the G3-winning daughter of City Zip tries to improve upon a poor 2017 bow in the Sheepshead Bay (G2) in which she disliked the soft turf at Belmont. Wheeling back in two weeks, she will be cutting back to a more ideal distance and hoping for faster ground. Joe Bravo, who was aboard for her impressive rally in the Breeders’ Cup, rides from Post 2.

Improving Graham Motion trainee Danilovna enters off a professional win in the local prep, the $75,000 Dahlia Stakes April 22 at Laurel Park. Second by a nose in her only other graded try — the Autumn Miss (G3) last fall at Santa Anita — the Bjorn Nielsen homebred daughter of Dansili appears primed for another big effort in what will be her fifth run for Motion after commencing her career with a trio of starts in England. Trevor McCarthy rides again from Post 3.

Winter Quarter Farm’s well-intended Cambodia enters with a legitimate chance to improve. By War Front, the 5-year-old lightly raced bay Tom Proctor trainee ran admirably last out when third as the favorite in the Dahlia, despite a yielding surface she struggled to handle. Over firm courses, she is 3-for-4, with her only loss coming to Believe in Bertie two starts back at Fair Grounds by three-quarters of a length. Believe in Bertie would go on to finish second by a nose two weeks later in the Distaff Turf Mile (G2) at Churchill Downs. Florent Geroux rides from outside Post 10.

The remainder of the field includes Grace is Ready, Laur Net, Gone Away, Come to Mischief and Queen Caroline.

About Pimlico Race Course
Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing’s famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.
Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America’s top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world’s largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.

Cover Photo: Chad Brown; NYRA Photo