Late-running Peach of a Gal upsets Christiana Stakes

Peach of a Gal slogged home a well-beaten third over a quagmire of a course in the Hilltop Stakes at Pimlico in her last start but a return to firm footing on Wednesday at Delaware Park resulted in her first career stakes win in the $50,000 Christiana Stakes.

Souper Striking, the Hilltop winner, changed the complexion of the Christiana, a 1 1/16-mile turf race for 3-year-old fillies, when she ran off on the lead and set unrealistic fractions of 22.54 seconds and 46.39. Longshot Frippery took first run at Souper Striking and came away with the lead more than a quarter-mile from the wire.

Peach of a Gal made a timely move under jockey Jorge Vargas Jr. on the far turn. She collared Frippery in midstretch and pulled away to win by a length.

"They were going pretty quick up front, so when they came back to me, I just kind of tapped her and she responded," Vargas said. "The last time I rode her at Pimlico, the turf was way too heavy for her."

Layla Noor rallied after Peach of a Gal through the stretch run but couldn’t catch her and finished third, a half-length behind Frippery.

Peach of a Gal, who is trained by Graham Motion, is a Maryland-homebred daughter of Curlin, who races for Glenangus Farm. Peach of a Gal is out of the four-time stakes winner Richetta.

She paid $34 to win in the eight-horse field. The $2 exacta to 23-1 Frippery, returned $585.40. The winner was timed in 1:42.39.

Peach of a Gal is now 3 for 8. She won a Tampa Bay Downs maiden race in her two-turn turf debut in December. She won a Maryland-bred restricted allowance race on turf at Laurel Park in early May.

Tesora, the 6-5 Christiana favorite, who was making her first start in more than seven months, appeared reluctant to settle early. She lodged a three-wide bid on the far turn and into the stretch but then flattened out and finished fourth.