Technical Analysis and Jose Ortiz cruise to victory in Gallorette Stakes
BALTIMORE, Md. -- Jockey Jose Ortiz said he was "just a passenger" aboard Technical Analysis on Saturday at Pimlico. But he was a bit more than that.
Ortiz confidently and tactfully handled his free-wheeling partner to channel her early foot into a 3 1/4-length score in the Grade 3, $150,000 Gallorette Stakes for fillies and mares on the turf.
“She was much the best today,” Ortiz said. “She looked like it on paper, and she just went out and did what she had to do. [Trainer Chad Brown] had her ready, and I was just a passenger.”
Ortiz has been aboard Technical Analysis ($3.20) for all but two of her nine starts: her debut in November 2020, when his brother Irad rode her to a third-place finish, and her runner-up effortin last month's Plenty of Grace at Aqueduct. Dylan Davis rode her that day, as Ortiz was at Keeneland for Brown to ride Regal Glory to win the Grade 1 Jenny Wiley.
Together, Technical Analysis and Ortiz won the Grade 3 Lake George and Grade 2 Lake Placid last summer in Saratoga, and finished second to yet another Brown-trained filly Shantisara in the Grade 1 Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland.
The Gallorette was her second start off the layoff.
Technical Analysis broke smartly. Ortiz, riding high and taking a long hold, eased her through a moderate opening quarter of 23.37 on the firm turf while not fighting with her. The filly kept galloping to the same beat into the backstretch, getting the half in 48.54 seconds while a half-length in front of chasing longshot Foggy Dreams.
“She’s a little quirky,” Ortiz said. “You can’t fight with her. You’ve just got to let her be happy and find a good rhythm. She was relaxed – that’s the main thing. Steady and happy.”
Foggy Dreams faded, with second choice Crystal Cliffs, who had been stalking back in third, moving up around the turn. But Technical Analysis shook clear into the stretch and widened her advantage with pricked ears while ridden out by Ortiz. She finished the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.40 and was given a 96 Beyer Speed Figure.
“Once she took control of the race going down the backside, I felt pretty good,” Brown said. “She got tested by,what I think is really good filly turning for home that made her move early and tried her. I was very interested to see how she responded after her first race of the year … The second race off the layoff would really tell the story to me where we are headed, and it looks like we are headed someplace good.”
Crystal Cliffs ran on well to be a clear best of the rest, three lengths ahead of In a Hurry. They were followed, in order, by Out of Sorts, Karakatsie, and the fading Foggy Dreams. Scarabea was scratched due to a fever that prevented her shipping from Kentucky.
Technical Analysis, an Irish-bred daughter of European Horse of the Year Kingman, races for the Klaravich Stables of Seth Klarman. Klaravich, Brown, and Ortiz will team up again later today with Early Voting in the Preakness Stakes.