Tin Type Gal prevails in hard-fought Miss Grillo

ELMONT, N.Y. – Tin Type Gal started on the inside and wound up on the outside. Thrilled started toward the outside and ended up on the inside.

Despite getting the worse of the two trips, Tin Type Gal out-finished Thrilled to the wire to win Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Miss Grillo Stakes at Belmont Park by a nose over Thrilled. It was 1 1/2 lengths back to Time and Motion in third and a head back to the 2-1 favorite Llanita in fourth.

Belvoir Bay, who was the 3-1 second choice on the morning line, was scratched after suffering an injury to her left ankle, according to Barry Irwin, head of the Team Valor International partnership that owns the filly.

The win, the second from three starts, likely earns Tin Type Gal a shot in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Keeneland on Oct. 30.

“Got to take a shot – that’s why we’re here, right?” said Graham Motion, who trains Tin Type Gal for Len Riggio’s My Meadowview Farm.

Last year’s Miss Grillo winner, Lady Eli, came back to win the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf.

Breaking from post 2 under Luis Saez, Tin Type Gal found herself three to four wide down the backstretch. She was about five lengths off the pace, while Look Who’s Talking and Chinchilla Dust sparred on the lead through a half-mile in 48.25 seconds.

Tin Type Gal remained wide around the turn and into the stretch, while Thrilled, who broke from post 6, had a rail run throughout. When Chinchilla Dust drifted off the rail in the stretch, that opened up a big hole for Thrilled, and John Velazquez shot his filly on through.

But Tin Type Gal was charging down the center of the course and was able to get to the wire first.

“Luis said just before the wire she went to switch leads, which made it look like the other horse was coming on,” Motion said. “She did it pretty nicely.”

Tin Type Gal, a daughter of Tapit, covered the 1 1/16 miles over firm turf in 1:41.41 and returned $9.70 as the third choice.

Todd Pletcher, the trainer of Thrilled, said his filly got a great trip but just lost the bob.

“The inside five horses didn’t break,” he said. “She went from post 6 to the rail, got a great rip up the rail, fought back, and just missed.”

Pletcher said Thrilled will likely go on to the Juvenile Fillies Turf.