Juddmonte Farms' homebred filly Whitebeam got a picture-perfect trip under Irad Ortiz Jr., sitting just behind the early speed and then waiting for racing room before taking command in the stretch to win Saturday's Grade 3 Gallorette Stakes at Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Md.
Sent off the 4-5 favorite in the field of seven fillies and mares contesting the $100,000 contest, Whitebeam covered 1 1/16 miles on firm turf in 1:41.67 and returned a $3.60 mutuel. The winning margin was 2 1/2 lengths.
Sopran Basilea, an Irish-bred making her U.S. debut after racing in Italy, finished second, with Bipartisanship a neck back in third and Princess Theorem fourth. Vergara, Traffic Song and Eminent Victor rounded out the order of finish.
Javier Castellano was aboard Sopran Basilea, subbing for jockey Luis Saez who was taken to a hospital after being thrown from his mount, Havnameltdown, in the previous race. Havnameltdown suffered a severe injury and was euthanized. Saez complained of leg pain after being loaded on a backboard and placed in an ambulance.
Bred in Great Britain, Whitebeam is a gray 4-year-old filly by Caravaggio out of Sleep Walk, by Oasis Dream. She compiled a record of three wins from six starts, with one second and one third while racing in England and France but did not compete in the highest level.
Sent to the U.S., Whitebeam trained at Payson Park last winter and had one prep before the Gallorette, finishing second in the one-mile Plenty of Grace Stakes on turf at Aqueduct April 16. She is trained by Chad Brown.
Traffic Song went to the front in the Gallorette, outrunning Vergara and Whitebeam in the early going. She set fractions of :23.62, :48.68, and 1:12.93 under some pressure from Vergara, one of three entries in the race from the stable of Graham Motion.
Traffic Song was overtaken by the time the field hit the top of the stretch, with a three-horse battle between Vergara toward the inside, Whitebeam between horses, and Princess Theorem to the outside. Whitebeam, who had to wait for racing room rounding into the stretch, outkicked her rivals down the stretch, holding a comfortable margin at the wire.
Post-race quotes
Winning Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Whitebeam): “Beautiful trip. She broke so good, broke on top actually. I let her go into the first turn to get position. I took a hold of her, and she came back to me right away. So, I just waited for the time to go, and she came on really well. She's a nice one.”
Trainer Graham Motion (Sopran Basilea, 2nd , Bipartisanship, 3rd , Vergara, 5th): “They ran well. I was very happy with them. Very encouraging for the European filly (Sopran Basilea) first time over here. Vergara was a little disappointing. But it was always a question coming off the layoff.”
Jockey Javier Castellano (Sopran Basilea, 2nd ) : “I'm so proud of her today. She was very professional in the post parade. She came running at the end. I really liked the way she did it today.”
Jockey John Velazquez (Bipartisanship, 3rd): “Got to the first turn and everybody was checking back. We sat there and waited to the quarter pole to squeeze between horses, and then she came running nicely. Seems like the longer distance will suit her good.”
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