Brown has pair making 2019 debuts in Gallorette

BALTIMORE – If there’s a middle-distance graded turf stakes for fillies and mares being run anywhere on the East Coast, there’s usually one or more Chad Brown trainees to be found. True to form, a pair of Brown horses will be among the favorites in the Grade 3, $150,000 Gallorette, part of the huge Preakness Day card Saturday at Pimlico.

Inflexibility and Barkaa, both making their first starts of the year, will represent Brown among the nine fillies and mares in the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette.

Inflexibility, with Javier Castellano to ride from post 2, is owned by Klaravich Stables and William Lawrence, who teamed with Brown and Castellano two years ago when Cloud Computing upset the Preakness. The 5-year-old Ontario-bred seeks her first win in more than a year after having been sent through 12 timed breezes since her most recent start in October.

“She had a good season last year until the fall and then tailed off,” Brown said. “We freshened her up at the farm, and she’s been training sharp and hopefully regaining the very good form she had the first part of last year.”

Barkaa (post 9, Irad Ortiz Jr.), a French-bred 4-year-old owned by Peter Brant and Allen Stable, is typical of many older Brown turf runners in that she is a European import, having been regrouped following a last-place finish in the Sands Point last September. She, too, shows a deep work slate, with eight timed works since mid-March.

“We sent her to the farm for some freshening,” said Brown, who has such divisional standouts as Sistercharlie, Uni, Rushing Fall, Precieuse, and Environs in his powerhouse shed row. “She’s trained well, and we’ll give her another try to get her back to form.”

Among the top challengers to the Brown duo are I’m So Fancy, Thewayiam, and Mitchell Road.

I’m So Fancy (post 1, Florent Geroux), with 20 overseas races behind her, gets first-time Lasix in her U.S. debut for trainer Arnaud Delacour and the Lael Stables of Barbaro fame.

Thewayiam (post 3, Trevor McCarthy) was a three-time stakes winner in early 2018 and most recently was second in a Gulfstream Park allowance off an eight-month layoff for trainer Graham Motion.

“Hopefully, she’ll progress from that race,” said Motion, who won the 2018 Gallorette with Ultra Brat. “We’re very happy with her. The timing is right.”

Mitchell Road (post 4, Joel Rosario) has four wins and two seconds from six career starts for Kentucky Derby-winning trainer Bill Mott and will be making her graded debut following a three-month layoff.

Rounding out the Gallorette lineup are Dynatail, Hogans Holiday, In the Lee, and Viva Vegas.

This is the 68th running of the Gallorette, named for the champion mare who was foaled in 1942 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1962. As race 10 of 14, the Gallorette is a key link in the pick five and pick four wagers that end with the Preakness (race 13). It goes at 4:05 p.m. Eastern.