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Getting a perfect trip under Florent Geroux, Juddmonte Farms' homebred Juliet Foxtrot won Saturday's Grade 3 Gallorette Stakes by one length to kick off the graded stakes action on Preakness Day at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Md.

Varenka closed strongly down the middle of the turf course to get within a length of Juliet Foxtrot at the wire, with No Mo Lady third and She'sonthewarpath fourth in the field of six older fillies and mares.

Juliet Foxtrot, a5-year-old English-bred daughter of Dansili trained by Brad Cox, covered 1 1/16 miles on yielding turf in 1:49.24 and paid $4.20 for the win, her second in a G3 stakes since coming to the United States from England and fifth win overall from 18 career starts.

Longshot Jabuticaba set the early fractions of :25.24, :50.49 and 1:15.92 with Juliet Foxtrot lapped on her from the outside for much of the way. Geroux asked Juliet Foxtrot to move to the lead on the turn for home, and she responded, opening a clear lead in the stretch and having enough left in the tank to hold off Trevor McCarthy and Varenka, a G2 winner in 2019 who has been off the board in all three of her starts in 2020.

“A little further and she might of gotten there,” said Graham Motion, Varenka's trainer. “The winner is a good filly.”

“(Jabuticaba) looked like she had a lot of speed,” said Geroux. “I just wanted to break good and get away from there and not be on the rail. I wanted to make sure I got a clear shot. I sat second place all the way and when I asked her, she went on. We were concerned how far she wanted to go. I think she's a true miler. I think she's more effective on the firm turf. The ground was a concern, but she was able to show off her class. She won on her class today, and not on what she likes.”

Produced from the King's Best mare, Kilo Alpha, Juliet Foxtrot has been facing top company since winning the G3 Modesty at Arlington Park in July 19 – her third consecutive success after arriving in the U.S.. She finished second, beaten a nose by Vasilika in the G2 John C. Mabee at Del Mar, second to Uni in the G1 First Lady at Keeneland, and third to Got Stormy in the G1 Matriarch at Del Mar to close out her 2019 campaign.

This year, Juliet Foxtrot ran sixth behind Secret Message in the G3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs, third behind Rushing Fall in the G1 Jenny Wiley and then fourth behind Beau Recall in her most recent start in the G2 Distaff Turf Mile at Churchill Downs.

“Definitely some class relief here helped,” said Ricky Giannini, assistant to Brad Cox. “We just hadn't been able to find the right spots and get her going, but she got the win today.

“Florent [Geroux] read it right. There wasn't much speed in the race. He kind of hustled her out of the gate and let the long shot go, just tipped out and gave her a perfect stalking trip and she kicked on.”

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Juliet Foxtrot and Varenka, graded winners in 2019, will seek their first stakes score this season in the $150,000 Gallorette (G3) Saturday, Oct. 3 at Pimlico Race Course.

A field of eight fillies and mares was entered in the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette on grass, the second on a 12-race all-stakes Preakness Day program, and the first of seven graded events. First race post time is 11 a.m.

The Gallorette honors the Hall of Fame mare bred in Maryland, who was the leading money-winning female in history when she retired in 1948. During her five seasons of racing she often competed against the top male handicap runners in the country. She won 21 of 72 starts, including the Whitney and the Carter.

Augustin Stable's homebred filly Varenka showed so much promise as a 2-year-old that she raced in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) as a maiden and won three of five starts last year, topped by a dead-heat victory in the Lake Placid (G2) at Saratoga.

The daughter of Hall of Famer Ghostzapper is winless in three tries in 2020. In her most recent outing, she was fifth, beaten 2 ¼ lengths, as the 3-1 favorite in the One Dreamer on Sept. 7 at Kentucky Downs.

“She's been a little disappointing this year, I would say,” trainer Graham Motion said. “She won a stake last year as a 3-year-old and I think she's found the step up to older horses a little bit tougher. Having said that, she hasn't been beaten very far in her races this year. I thought she was a little unlucky last time at Kentucky Downs. She didn't have a great trip and she was only beaten two lengths. In three times year this year she's been beaten two, three lengths each time. She's right there she just has to step up a little bit.”

Varenka will race in blinkers for the first time. She will start from the outside post under jockey Trevor McCarthy.

Juddmonte Farm's British homebred Juliet Foxtrot had a very strong 2019 season after being imported and turned over to trainer Brad Cox. The daughter of Dansili capped a three-race win streak with a front-running score in the Modesty Handicap (G3) at Arlington Park. She just missed by a nose to Vasili in the John C. Mabee (G2) at Del Mar, then was second to champion Uni in the First Lady (G1).

Juliet Foxtrot finished the season with a third, beaten 1 ½ lengths, in the Matriarch (G1). This season, the speedy 5-year-old mare, who drew the inside post in the Gallorette under Florent Geroux, has not been able to find the same type of success.

Robert and Lawana Low's 4-year-old homebred She'sonthewarpath has thrived this year for trainer Steve Margolis, winning three of five starts, all in stakes company. With Gabriel Saez taking over for regular rider Chantal Sutherland, the Declaration of War filly will be making her first start since finishing second on Aug. 2 in the Kentucky Downs Preview Ladies Turf Stakes. She'sonthewarpath's third dam is the Lows' standout sprinter Capote Belle.

Storm the Hill will make her first start since January and debut for top turf trainer Mike Maker. The 6-year-old Get Stormy mare, owned by Alastar Thoroughbred Company and Michael Valdes, is the most seasoned of the Gallorette runners with 29 starts. The Gallorette will be her 11th straight graded-stakes. Her most recent victory was in the Senator Ken Maddy (G3) at Santa Anita in November 2018. Horacio Karamanos as the mount from Post 3.

Not in Jeopardy, third by a half-length in the 2019 All Along at Laurel Park; No Mo Lady and Jabuticaba, respectively second and fourth in the 2020 All Along Sept. 7; and Wicked Awesome are also entered, the latter for main track only.

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