Jim McCue / Maryland Jockey Club
Delaware shipper Galiana, a 5-year-old daughter of Stonesider (Saratoga Stud, LLC), posted a convincing fifth stakes victory at Pimlico Race Course on Saturday afternoon, coming from off the pace to win the $100,000 Primonetta Stakes going away under jockey Abel Lezcano. The Primonetta was the chestnut mare’s main track debut in Baltimore, following an unplaced finish in a sprint stakes over the Pimlico turf last May.
Winner of starter’s allowance at Tampa Bay Downs in January, Galiana had not visited the winner’s circle in three subsequent stakes tries and was let go at generous odds of 8-1, fifth choice in the field of eight. Her backers, however, did not ignore a third place finish in the Grade 3 Hurricane Bertie at Gulfstream Park on February 14 and two sharp four-furlong moves at Delaware Park on April 1 and April 15.
Breaking from post seven, Galiana settled in with the second flight, traveling comfortably on the backstretch in the three path, four lengths behind 10-1 Tarnished and 5-2 Wherethere’sfire who wrangled up front, shortly to be joined by post time favorite She’s Ordained.
When the three early leaders lined up evenly at the quarter pole, Galiana switched out to the four path and started to roll in earnest. She gained the lead with a furlong to go, then opened up to a convincing 2 3/4-length victory. She’s Ordained, who led briefly in upper stretch, finished second, a neck in front of a game Tarnished. After opening splits of 23.23 and 46.54, Galiana stopped the clock at 1:11.27 [Pimlico YouTube VIDEO]
“We didn’t have much speed today, so we saved ground,” Abel Lezcano said. “At the three-eighths pole I knew my horse was strong. I let [her] out in the stretch and then, poof, [she] went.”
Rodolfo Romero, who trains the mare for Triple R Stables, said, “Our only concern coming into this race today was that she may not like the track. She’s never run here before, and she can be picky. Happily, she took to the track today and [jockey Abel] Lezcano rode her well.”
Galiana will be pointed next to the $100,000 Skipat on Black-Eyed Susan Day, May 15, at Pimlico.
Galiana has now won 12 of 24 career starts with eight wins coming at six furlongs. She adds her Primonetta score to four stakes wins at Delaware Park: back-to-back victories in the Tax Free Shopping Distaff Stakes, the Dashing Beauty Stakes and Sweet and Sassy Stakes. Her earnings have mounted to $459,121
Bred by John T. Behrendt and Charles Marquis and foaled at Anne Morgan and Tim Little’s Mill Creek Farm in Stillwater, Galiana is out of Baby Jess, an unraced Argentinian-bred daughter of Interprete (ARG). A full sister to Galiana has won in Argentina.
