For Immediate Release: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 215.639.9000 ext. 3290 or 3329 Contact: Keith Jones, Announcer – Philadelphia Park @ kjones@parxracing.com
GALIANA HEADS FIELD FOR MY JULIET STAKES
Parx will kick off its Memorial Day weekend with a nine race card Saturday afternoon with the $75,000 My Juliet Stakes the feature race of the day. A six furlong sprint for fillies and mares three and up, the My Juliet has drawn seven runners, headed by Rudolfo Romero’s Galiana.
A five year-old Stonesider mare, Galiana opens as the 8-5 morning line favorite. She’s been terrific from day one for her owner- trainer, winning 13 of 25 lifetime starts with an impressive record of 9 of 13 at the six furlong distance. After racing in Florida this winter, she came north in April and has won consecutive stakes at Pimlico. On April 15th, she rallied from off the pace to win the $100,000 Primonetta Stakes by two and three-quarter lengths at a very square price of 8-1. She came back on May 15th and sat a perfect stalking trip to win the $100,000 Skipat Stakes by exactly the same margin. She’s also stakes placed in graded company, running third this February at Gulfstream in the G3 Hurricane Bertie behind the outstanding sprinter Merry Meadow. Abel Lezcano has been named to ride.
Second choice at 5-2 is Tea Time. Racing out of the Michael Matz barn for owners Helen Groves, Jon Kelly and Sarah Kelly, the four year-old Pulpit filly is a three time stakes winner, winning the $100,000 Sharp Cat at Belmont as a two year-old, and the $75,000 Jostle Stakes (Parx) and $50,000 Beautiful Day (Delaware) as a three year-old. After the Delaware win last year, she went to Saratoga and ran 7th at 7-1 in G1 Test and then was a decent 4th in the G2 Prioress also at 7-1 to finish her season on August 30th. She has one start so far in 2015, a failed effort on the turf at Belmont on May 1st. Joshua Navarro has the mount.
Ronald Ulrich’s She’s Ordained will open as third choice at 3-1, and while she sports an outstanding lifetime record of 15 wins in 41 starts, she’s not been able to handle the race favorite Galiana. She’s faced Galiana four times and has failed each time. She ran behind Galiana in two stakes at Delaware last year, was second behind her in the aforementioned Primonetta and was third behind her in the Skipat. Interesting to note that She’s Ordained was a shorter price in both races at Pimlico. Trainer Tim Kreiser has named Matthew Rispoli to ride.