It was a long time between drinks for Charlene’s Dream when she returned from an eight-month layoff to win the Grade 3 Gallorette on the Preakness Stakes undercard. She goes back for another round quickly this time in the Grade 3, $250,000 Mint Julep Stakes for fillies and mares at 1 1/16 miles on the turf Sunday at Churchill Downs. Charlene’s Dream bounced out of the Gallorette so well that trainer Ed Moger Jr., who hauled the filly from Kentucky to Maryland and back himself, decided to take advantage of a good opportunity to race near home, rather than waiting for a race with better timing that would subject the filly to another long road trip. “She acted like she never even ran, diving into her grain, happy as could be,” Moger said. “Coming back quick is always a hard thing off a long layoff, but she doesn’t act like she’s run.” Texas-bred Charlene’s Dream won three of four starts as a 2-year-old in 2023 at Golden Gate, including stakes on turf and synthetic. Last year, she made just three starts, finishing fourth in the Leslie’s Lady on the Churchill dirt, winning the Horseshoe Indianapolis Handicap at a mile on turf, and then finishing seventh in the Dueling Grounds Oaks in September at Kentucky Downs. In that 1 5/16-mile race, which would be her last appearance under colors for many months, she tired after leading. In the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette, her graded stakes debut, Charlene’s Dream was left alone up front, clear by two lengths through moderate early fractions of 24.32 and 49.37 seconds on turf rated “good.” She began to gain separation leaving the final turn and opened up through the stretch to her final margin of 3 3/4 lengths. :: Access the most trusted data and information in horse racing! DRF Past Performances and Picks are available now. “She does not need the lead,” Moger said, adding that a victory could propel Charlene’s Dream toward Grade 1 company at Saratoga in July. “She’s just got such natural speed, and they kind of gave her an easy lead, so that was even better. But you can put her anywhere you want.” Displaying that tractability could be key for Charlene’s Dream in a race that does look like it has some speed. Serene Seraph flashed that ability early in the Grade 2 Churchill Distaff Turf Mile before fading to eighth. Drawn on the rail here, she will likely need to use some early foot to secure position. She is one of several emerging from the Distaff Mile, along with runner-up Pin Up Betty, who gained the lead in the stretch before missing by a neck; Movin’ On Up, who came between horses to be up for a good third, another three-quarters of a length back; and sixth-place finisher Venencia. Movin’ On Up is one of two in this field for Saffie Joseph Jr., along with No Mo Candy, who was a neck away from perfect in four starts last year. She also prefers to be forwardly placed and is making her first start since a stalk-and-pounce win in the Grade 3 Pebbles last November at Aqueduct. Also coming back off a layoff is Duvet Day, unbeaten on the Churchill turf, including a rallying win in the Grade 3 Cardinal last November. She will be hoping for some pace to develop from Charlene’s Dream and others. The Mint Julep leads a compelling Sunday card. In noteworthy events on the undercard: ◗ Varney makes his first start against winners in the eighth race, a first-level allowance for 3-year-olds. After finishing behind eventual Kentucky Derby third-place finisher Baeza and Preakness fourth-place finisher Goal Oriented in separate California maidens, Bob Baffert sent the colt to a Pimlico maiden race. He led throughout and won by 5 1/2 lengths against some nicely bred runners. He ran 1 1/16 miles, the distance of Sunday’s allowance, in 1:43.80 on a track labeled “good.” Later in the day, Crudo won the Sir Barton in 1:44 on a track that had been upgraded to fast. Varney gets a nice litmus test from Hypnus, second to Goal Oriented in a Churchill allowance; Hymn, who finished fourth in the Bathhouse Row to Instant Replay, recent winner of the Texas Derby; and Sippin On Gin, who has won back-to-back Louisiana-bred stakes. ◗ The conditions of the seventh race, a $148,000 allowance for older horses on the main track, allows for a matchup of graded stakes winners Best Actor, Emmanuel, Katonah, and Most Wanted, and stakes winners Accretive, Full Screen, Kupuna, and Money Supply. Most Wanted is coming off a strong local effort, finishing second to Fierceness in the Grade 2 Alysheba. Best Actor, Katonah, and Most Wanted were cross-entered in Saturday’s Blame Stakes. Emmanuel, a graded stakes winner on turf, is coming off one of his better dirt efforts, finishing fourth in a loaded Lake Ouachita at Oaklawn behind Grade 1 winner Saudi Crown and Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan. ◗ The $1.75 million yearling Cannoneer makes his career debut for Brad Cox as one of several well-bred juveniles in the fourth race, a $120,000 maiden special weight. The Into Mischief colt is a half-brother to Grade 1 winner Girvin and graded stakes winners Cocked and Loaded, Midnight Bourbon, and Pirate’s Punch. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.