Somali Lemonade Hangs On in Gallorette
Caroline A. Forgason’s Somali Lemonade prevailed in a spirited battle for the lead, then held off Watsdachances in deep stretch to win the $150,000 Gallorette Handicap (G3) for fillies and mares Saturday at Pimlico.
Luis Saez sent the daughter of Lemon Drop Kid on a gate-to-wire mission in the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette, which was run over the ‘good’ turf in 1:44.16. The Michael Matz-trained 5-year-old mare beat Watsdachances by a half-length, with Triple Arch taking third.
Somali Lemonade paid $4.80.
GALLORETTE HANDICAP (G3) QUOTES
Winning Trainer Michael Matz (Somali Lemonade): “She never started going to the lead until she turned 5 and I don’t know what’s gotten into her in her old age. The trip today was fine. She likes the footing a little soft and she only had a little early pressure. We were going to retire her this year but after she ran that good race at Gulfstream (Marshua’s River) the owner, who is my sister-in-law (Caroline Forgason) said, ‘Do we really have to retired her?’ This is her only horse. The Just a Game (Belmont, June 7) is a possibility. We’ll just see how she comes out of it.”
Winning Jockey Luis Saez (Somali Lemonade): “She started to get out a little bit, but I didn’t want to fight her. She did the same thing last time, and when you try to fight her, she tries to stop. The trip was good. I put her in the lead like last time, but I had a little pressure all the way around today. She just kept running. She gave me everything.”
Co-Owner Pete Bradley (Watsdachances, 2nd): “For her first start back, she ran a really big race. The winner is a good horse on the lead and on the softer turf, too. We ran our race and just didn’t quite get there. There’s next time. She never gives us a bad race, and it’s on the board every time.”
Jockey Javier Castellano (Watsdachances, 2nd): “My horse tried hard today. She ran a very good race, but she just missed. She’s a good horse.”
Trainer Marcus Vitali (Triple Arch, 3rd): “The race set up good for us. I was really happy with her. I told the jock to take her off the lead and hoped the speed would come back to us a bit. But the speed held up.”
Jockey Orlando Bocachica (Triple Arch, 3rd): “My horse ran a good race. The winner never stopped. She really showed up today and so did our horse, but we just couldn’t get there.”