Al’s Gal Breaks Through in E.P. Taylor

It took Ken and Sarah Ramsey’s 5-year-old mare Al’s Gal 26 starts to earn her first graded win, but it was a whopper Oct. 16 at Woodbine.

The daughter of English Channel  trained by Mike Maker was part of a cavalry charge to the wire in the final stages of the $500,000 E. P. Taylor Stakes (Can-IT) and she just got to the wire first by a head bob over Suffused to win the 1 1/4-mile turf event in a final time of 2:01.60.

Every filly or mare in the field of 12 was within five lengths at the wire, the top seven were within two lengths, and the superfecta was separated by three-quarters of a length. Best in the World, the Irish invader who was sent off as the 3-1 favorite for trainer Aidan O’Brien and jockey Ryan Moore, seemed to be in a good spot while running third on the rail, but finished last.

Al’s Gal stalked early leader Parvaneh in second as the fractions through six furlongs went in :26.05, :49.83, and 1:13.75, and was still a half-length behind the frontrunner as the mile went in 1:37.93. Al’s Gal had a half-length advantage with a furlong to run, as a host of contenders loomed to her outside, but dug in late.

Al’s Gal, claimed for $35,000 at Gulfstream in February of 2015, and jockey Florent Geroux are now 3-for-3 with their most recent collaboration a victory in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon on Sept. 15. She finished runner-up to Sea Calisi in her only other effort at the grade I level in the Aug. 13 Beverly D. Stakes at Arlington International with Corey Lanerie aboard.

“There was no traffic for me today,” Geroux said. “When we broke from the gate I was right there, second position all the way and when I asked her turning from home she just gave me a nice turn of foot and was very brave.

“I don’t have any game plan especially with horses like this who are very manageable and have tactical speed.”

Banzari closed from sixth to pick up the show placing, followed by Guapaza, Rainha Da Bateria, Swiss Range, Nezwaah, Parvaneh,Tuttipaesi, Strut the Course, Aim to Please, and favored Best In The World, to complete the order of finish.

The winner paid $14.30, $6.90, and $4.50 across the board. Suffused brought $7.70 and $5.60, while Banzari delivered $10.40 to show.

A two-time stakes winner, including a last-out score in the Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon Sept. 15, Al’s Gal had been knocking on the door in the graded ranks with seconds in the Beverly D. (gr. IT), Modesty (gr. IIIT), and Bewitch (gr. IIIT) this year.

Bred in Pennsylvania by Malone Racing, out of Dans La Ville by Winning, Al’s Gal now has an 8-8-3 record with $749,775 in earnings.

Source: Blood Horse, Jeremy Balan