Ghalia Princess points to Gazelle Stakes as next start

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Ghalia Princess, the six-length winner of Saturday’s Cicada Stakes, will be given the opportunity to stretch out in distance and will most likely make her next start in the Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle Stakes going 1 1/8 miles on April 6 at Aqueduct, trainer Brad Cox said Sunday.

“Based off pedigree she certainly looks like she would be able to stretch out, I kind of always thought that,” Cox said. “In her second run,” a second-place finish in the seven-furlong Ruthless Stakes at Aqueduct “she lacked seasoning and we shipped her right on top of the race from New Orleans. I do think she can stretch out to a mile and an eighth. It’ll be a tall task, but that’s what we’re looking at right now.”

Ghalia Princess is a daughter of Triple Crown winner American Pharoah out of the Medaglia d’ Oro mare Ghalia, who did win the Sunland Park Oaks at 1 1/16 miles in her lone start around two turns.

In the Cicada, Ghalia Princess stalked the pace comfortably from the outside before Manny Franco asked her for run. Franco had her geared down at the wire, yet Ghalia Princess still ran six furlongs in 1:09.85 and earned an 85 Beyer Speed Figure.

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“I nominated her to that race and she had a couple of good works since her last run, I thought we could use this as a fitness tool for the Gazelle,” Cox said. “It appears she looked good out of the race. We’ll probably have one breeze between now and the Gazelle.”

Cox is also expected to be represented by Gin Gin in the Gazelle. Gin Gin finished third to Jody’s Pride in the Busher on March 2 after winning the Busanda at 1 1/8 miles on Jan. 13.

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