Mitchell Road Wires Gallorette

BALTIMORE, MD –  In wire to wire fashion, Mitchell Road dominated Saturday’s $150,000 Gallorette Stakes (G3) at Pimlico Race Course. This was the fourth consecutive win for the four-year-old daughter of English Channel and her second consecutive stakes win.

Mitchell Road broke sharp from the gate and went straight out to the front. Dynatail also broke well to sit just off the leader with I’m So Fancy and Inflexibility close behind as they entered the first turn. Mitchell Road maintained her lead on the rest of the field and set fractions of :23.28, :47.07, and 1:10.59. Into the second turn, Inflexibility moved wide with jockey Javier Castellano and put the pressure on Mitchell Road but Mitchell Road shot clear and hit the top of the stretch with two lengths on the rest of the field. Thewayiam moved up from midpack into the stretch and rode the rail with a late burst of speed. She looked ready to challenge the leader Mitchell Road but was pinched on the rail forcing her to settle for second with Mitchell Road picking up the win in wire-to-wire fashion. Viva Vegas made an impressive late run to get up for third and I’m so Fancy finished fourth.

“She broke away in the lead and was just looking around, enjoying what she was doing,” said jockey Joel Rosario. “She is a good-moving filly, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to ride her. She was comfortable. [In the stretch], I just wanted to ride her just in case some other horse might come up on her.”

Mitchell Road is owned by J.V. Shields and E.J.M McFadden and trained by Bill Mott; the same connections of Kentucky Derby-winning Country House.

“She’s developed with age into a very nice filly. She showed talent from Day 1. She’s never been out of the exacta and she’s developed into a very nice filly,” said assistant trainer Miley Mott. “She always trains very forwardly, very willingly and she surely ran well today. There’s a big race at Belmont going one turn on Belmont Day [Longines Just a Game (G1)] which I would say would suit her style, but obviously we have to see how she comes out of this and talk to the ownership. We’ll enjoy this; she gave her little brother [Country House] a big update there.”

Mitchell Road returned $6.20 to win, $3.80 to place, and $2.80 to show. Thewayiam brought back $5.80 to place and $4.00 to show, while Viva Vegas paid $4.20 to show.