Umberto Rispoli Guides 4YO Filly Charlene’s Dream to Victory
BALTIMORE – Domeyko Taylor’s Charlene’s Dream, under an ideal ride from jockey Umberto Rispoli, kicked off her 4-year-old season in stylish fashion with a front-running 3 ¾-length upset of the $150,000 Gallorette (G3) Saturday at Pimlico Race Course.
The 74th running of the 1 1/16-mile Gallorette for fillies and mares 3 and up on the grass was the third of 10 stakes, five graded, worth $3.3 million in purses on a spectacular 14-race program headlined by the historic 150th Preakness Stakes (G1), Middle Jewel of the Triple Crown.
Sent off the longest shot in a field of eight at 8-1, Charlene’s Dream ($18.20) finished up in 1:46.92 over a turf course rated good to register her fifth lifetime win from eight starts and fourth in a stakes. Racing for the first time in 249 days, the Texas-bred filly was making her graded debut.
Rispoli guided Charlene’s Dream through measured splits of 24.32 and 49.37 seconds, left alone up front with Ocean Club giving closest chase. Queen of the Mud settled in third along the rail with lukewarm 3-1 favorite Way to Be Marie in the clear in fourth. Charlene’s Dream began to gain separation leaving the turn and opened up through the stretch as Austere caught Ocean Club for second.
Three Havanas, Way to Be Marie, Sparkle Blue and Queen of the Mud completed the order of finish. Dana’s Beauty and Conquest Dancer were scratched.
Rispoli will ride 8-5 program favorite and Kentucky Derby (G1) runner-up Journalism in the Preakness for trainer Mike McCarthy.
Charlene’s Dream won three of four starts at 2, all at Golden Gate Fields, capped by the Pike Place Dancer and Golden Gate Debutante on turf and synthetic, respectively. She raced only three times at 3, winning the Horseshoe Indianapolis Handicap on grass and running seventh in the $1.5 million Dueling Grounds Oaks Sept. 11 at Kentucky Downs.
Gallorette retired in 1948 as the world’s leading money-winning mare, with earnings of $445,535. She won 21 of 72 starts and placed in 39 stakes, capturing the 1945 Pimlico Oaks and being named champion handicap mare of 1946. She was elected to the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame in 1962.
$150,000 Gallorette (G3) Quotes
Winning Trainer Ed Moger Jr. (Charlene’s Dream) – “I thought there’d be more speed, but I told Umberto (Rispoli) she does not have to be on the lead, because you can put her anywhere. She’s a really talented horse and I said, ‘if she does get the lead, they aren’t going to catch her.’ She’s a good horse.”
“We couldn’t get her in any graded stakes, basically, because she had never been in a graded stake. We entered in, like three of them, the races didn’t go or we didn’t get in. We weren’t qualified. That’s why we came here. I’ve always thought she could run like that.”
“I’ve always liked her. Right from Day 1. I thought she’s the best filly I’ve ever had.”
(You said you liked her from Day 1. Why?) “Always did everything really good. She’s got a beautiful way of going. She’s big and strong and doesn’t get tired, and she’s got a mind too,. She does everything right.
Winning Jockey Umberto Rispoli (Charlene’s Dream) – “She broke really well out of the gate. I was happy to let her go to the lead. Ed was very confident before the race, that’s why I want to give him credit for this. He said, ‘Wherever you land, wherever she’s happy on the lead, just stay with her and go with her.’ She was happy on the fence in the lead, and she never gave up. The more ground there was to cover, she kept taking me to the wire.”
Trainer Brendan Walsh (Austere, 2nd) – “They just left her (Charlene’s Dream) alone, and she got to running. My filly ran great. I thought she ran a good race. She tried hard, made up plenty of ground. But the bird had flown, as they say. She’s a hard-knocking filly. She always leaves it out on the track, so you can’t complain.”
Jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. (Austere, 2nd) – “We had a beautiful trip. The winner was the only speed of the race who got loose on the lead and was tough to catch. I feel it is hard to make up ground on the turf today.”
Trainer Bethany Baumgardner (Ocean Club, 3rd) – “I was thrilled with how she handled the soft going. I don’t think it’s something she loves, but she showed up and tried hard.”
Jockey John Velazquez (Ocean Club, 3rd) – “We had a perfect trip – just didn’t have enough horse. But she ran very well.”