Cambodia Earns First Stakes Win in G3 Gallorette

BALTIMORE, MD – Winter Quarter Farm’s Cambodia, narrowly beaten in three straight stakes to open 2017, became a stakes winner for the first time on Saturday at Pimlico Race Course in the 66th running of the Grade 3, $150,000 Stella Artois Gallorette for fillies and mares 3 and older.

Jockey Florent Geroux guided Cambodia from Post 10 to stalk Come to Mischief into the first turn and down the backstretch, setting fractions of :24.63 and :49.78. The 5-year-old War Front mare assumed the lead after straightening for home and edged clear to a 2-length win in 1:44.35 for 1 1/16 miles.

“She was very sharp from the gate,” Geroux said. “We in a great spot just off the horse on the lead. I kept her relaxed, and turning for home, she responded very well.”

On Leave, on hold in the early stages under Jose Ortiz, was second after stalking the pace throughout over a turf course rated good.

“The ground is a little soft, but not bad,” said Ortiz. “It’s good – not firm or soft. She had a perfect trip. She was on the inside saving all the ground. I think the winner had a better trip in the clear, and I think that made all the difference.”

Multiple graded stakes-placed Elysea’s World, sent off as the even-money favorite, raced at the back of the pack into the far turn before making a belated bid on the outside to get up for third, a neck ahead of Queen Caroline. Laur Net, Danilovna, Grace Is Ready, and Come to Mischief completed the order of finish.

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Cambodia has now won three of six starts since joining the barn of trainer Tom Proctor, including a 1 1/16-mile allowance last fall at Laurel Park. She previously ran third in the Marie G. Krantz Memorial and Daisy Devine at Fair Grounds, as well as Laurel’s one-mile Dahlia on April 22.

“From where she was at, I’d have been disappointed if she got beat,” Proctor said. “I had a perfect go, slow pace. It was nice to have it work out.” 

Cambodia returned $11.20, $5, and $3. On Leave brought back $4 and $2.60, while Elysea’s World paid $2.10 to show.

Additional Race Quotes

Robbie Medina, assistant to trainer Shug McGaughey, On Leave: “Everything worked out alright. She was sitting in a good spot and he had a lot of horse underneath him. The winner had a jump on them. They were going pretty slow, he was going to try and go inside, but he angled her out. Second-best. First race since October, so this is very encouraging.”

Trainer Chad Brown, Elysea’s World: “Just a bad trip: last, no pace. She came rolling late. But it’s impossible to win from there when they go that slow. She would have had to be Superman.”

Jockey Joel Rosario, Elysea’s World: “I think it was the slow pace and I wasn’t where I wanted to be. I saved a little ground; as much as I could. It was a tough run and she tried, but with how the race was run, it didn’t set up for her too much.”

Pimlico Race Course