Gallorette winner will qualify for Group 1 race in France
The Grade 3, $100,000 Gallorette Stakes on next month’s Preakness undercard at Pimlico will offer the added incentive of an automatic berth for its winner in a Group 1 race this summer in France.
The announcement tying the Gallorette in with the US$267,428 Prix Jean Romanet Stakes (G1) was made Wednesday in a joint announcement from 1/ST, which runs Pimlico, and France Galop, the Paris-based national racing authority.
According to a Wednesday news release, this new initiative sees both parties come together to form a series of high-class partnerships that will power increased international participation across a host of top-quality graded stakes and marquee race days, beginning with the Gallorette on Preakness 149 race day at Pimlico on May 18. The winner automatically will be qualified to run in the Romanet at Deauville on Aug. 18. The Gallorette winner will also receive a free, equine-travel stipend to cover its subsequent travel costs to France.
The collective aim is to establish long-lasting links between revered races in France and valuable turf contests at 1/ST racetracks across North America, boosting the international profile and prize funds of all participating contests and increasing the number of runners entered in these races which, in turn, will engage a wider international audience and drive global wagering turnover.
This innovative collaboration with France Galop leverages natural synergies between two powerhouses of the sport. Moreover, it builds on similar global, gateway partnerships which 1/ST already has formed with Ascot via Gulfstream Park’s series for Royal Ascot’s juvenile races and the U.K. Jockey Club around the July Cup (G1) and the Eclipse Stakes (G1), now twinned as qualifiers for the newly minted California Crown (G1) taking place at Santa Anita Park on Sept. 28, marking California’s richest day of racing.
As an automatic qualifier for the Romanet, the Gallorette also shines the spotlight on a high-profile undercard for Preakness 149. This year’s will be the most lucrative in the event’s history with $3.3 million on the line highlighted by the running of the 149th Preakness, the middle jewel in the Triple Crown featuring an increased $2 million purse. These enhanced purses reflect 1/ST’s vision for the future of the highest standard of world-class Thoroughbred horse racing combined with unique and elevated guest experiences and exciting opportunities for owners, trainers and bettors to usher in a new era for racing.
“1/ST is thrilled to create another great global partnership, breaking new ground in France with our friends at France Galop,” 1/ST president Aidan Butler said. “This Gallorette-Romanet pathway is an exciting trial for hopefully more reciprocal race days in France considering France Galop’s rich heritage in staging many of the most prestigious turf contests in Europe at courses like Deauville, Chantilly and Longchamp.
“We look forward to announcing more global racing partnerships over the year ahead. Whether we’re bolstering the brand, increasing horse-recruitment numbers or driving wagering dollars overseas, it’s high time for more innovative moments on the worldwide racing stage.”
“We're naturally delighted to be teaming up with 1/ST on this compelling initiative which will introduce many new French racing fans to Preakness 149 and add some welcome transatlantic flavor to the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet Stakes, now in its 20th year of attracting the best middle-distance horses in the business,” said Henri Pouret, Chief Operating Officer at France Galop. “The travel stipend is an excellent incentive for facilitating stress-free long-haul travel, helping to secure a stellar field of global contenders for the Romanet and proving that racing is a sport whose worldwide appeal is no barrier to worldwide participation be it in France or the States.
“We look forward to welcoming the Gallorette victor to Deauville later this summer and building on the success of U.S.-trained horses at other elite European events such as Royal Ascot.”