American Gal scores impressive win in Humana Distaff

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – A two-pronged change in circumstances led to a change in outcome for American Gal in the Grade 1, $300,000 Humana Distaff on the Kentucky Derby card.

Unlike in last month’s Madison at Keeneland, where she returned from a layoff and ran fourth to Finley’sluckycharm after dueling inside that rival, this time American Gal didn’t face those disadvantages. Fit off that comeback race and drawn outside Finley’sluckycharm, she ran back to the form she displayed in taking the Grade 1 Test last year, scoring in the Humana Distaff by two lengths over Ivy Bell.

Although American Gal and Finley’sluckycharm were heads apart early, as they were in the fast-paced Madison, a far more leisurely tempo unfolded Saturday. They took turns on the lead for the opening quarter-mile and half-mile of the seven-furlong race, timed in just 23.03 seconds and 45.63.

These easy fractions were made possible in part by the draw and the tactics of winning rider Jose Ortiz, who kept her well off the rail down the backstretch, away from the competition. “I didn’t want anyone putting pressure on me early,” he said.

When Lewis Bay, the eventual third-place finisher, began to dial up pressure on the outside on the turn, the race turned into a sprint. American Gal surged clear to open up a two-length advantage in midstretch, with six furlongs in 1:09.58, and maintained that edge to the wire by completing seven-eighths in 1:22.23 over a sealed racetrack that Churchill Downs labeled “muddy.” The race earned a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.

“She trained really well going into the last race, but we’d seen a slight sort of improvement from that race, like the light switch came back on,” winning trainer Simon Callaghan said.

A 4-year-old daughter of Concord Point owned by Kaleem Shah, she improved her record to five wins from eight starts with earnings of $904,980. American Gal’s only defeat in six sprints came in the Madison, where she was beaten a neck in a blanket finish. She paid $7.80 as the third favorite in the field of seven Saturday.

Ivy Bell, who tracked the leaders in third or fourth for much of the race, finished well to grab second once securing running room from behind horses, though she never posed a significant threat to the winner.

“I don’t think it was a good setup,” jockey Javier Castellano said of the pace.

Castellano said he would like to see Ivy Bell stretched out to a route, believing she could prefer that over sprinting, something she has done exclusively over her 17-race career.

Finley’sluckycharm, narrowly favored at 5-2, faded to fourth, losing for the first time in seven starts over the Churchill Downs strip. She was followed across the wire by Torrent, Skye Diamonds, and Miner’s Cat.