@DelParkRacing
Typically a closer, Galiana (Stonesider) came out of the gate running at Delaware Park on Thursday and never looked back, upsetting the 6-furlong $58,000 Dashing Beauty Stakes at odds of 7-1 to run up her record over the Wilmington oval to a perfect four for four.
A maiden breaker for a $7,500 tag at first asking at Delaware Park last June, and upset winner of Delaware Park’s Tax Free Shopping Distaff for Delaware-bred or Certified fillies and mares in September, 4-year-old Galiana came into the Dashing Beauty fresh from an optional claiming / starter allowance victory over the track going 5 1/2 furlongs on “good” going.
Galiana broke alertly from post three under jockey Ricardo Chiappe in the field of nine fillies of mares. Scooting to the front at the rail, she was first pressed hard by Crazy About Me through a swift first quarter-mile over the sloppy (sealed) track in 22.46. When Crazy About Me began to fade, She’s Ordained took up the chase. Galiana was determined, however, dug in and drew off to a two-length victory in a final time of 1:10.92.
Owned and trained by Rodolfo Romero, Galiana has now won seven of 11 career starts, including a pair of back-to-back victories in state-bred allowance competition at Saratoga last summer and a turf sprint at Atlantic City on April 29 in her seasonal debut. Her earnings now total $217,290.
A daughter of Stonesider, who stands at Saratoga Stud LLC in Stillwater for a 2014 fee of $3,500, Galiana was bred by John T. Behrendt and Charles Marquis and foaled at Anne Morgan and Tim Little’s Mill Creek Farm in Stillwater. Galiana is the only North American winner to date out of Baby Jess, an unraced Argentinian-bred daughter of Interprete (ARG).
