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Churchill Downs Release
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Stonestreet Stable’s Emery swept past her four rivals around the turn and drew away in the stretch without being asked to easily win Sunday’s third running of the $170,450 Leslie’s Lady Overnight Stakes at Churchill Downs by 3 ½ lengths over Tambo.
Ridden by Tyler Gaffalione and conditioned by Brad Cox, Emery ran seven furlongs over a fast track in 1:22.46 to collect her first career stakes win.
Moonlit Lady broke fastest from the gate and dictated the terms through a first quarter mile in :22.74 and a half-mile in :45.57 as Emery relaxed in last behind the closely bunched field of five 3-year-old fillies. Emery entered the turn in last and left the bend in front. She kicked past the leaders with a furlong to run under a hand ride.
“She’s a very classy filly,” Gaffalione said. “She traveled so nicely today, and I was just trying to stay out of her way. Her ears were up down the lane, and I had plenty of horse left.”
Emery, the odds-on 4-5 favorite, rewarded her backers with payouts of $3.78, $2.70 and $2.10. Tambo, ridden by Jose Ortiz, returned $3.32 and $2.40. Legadema, with Martin Garcia up, was another 2 ¾ lengths back in third and paid $2.20 to show.
Charlene’s Dream was fourth and Moonlit Lady was fifth. Blue Squall and Pink Lady Lu Sha were scratched.
With her victory worth $107,200, Emery boosted her career earnings to $256,298 from a record of 3-0-0 in four starts.
Emery is a daughter of More Than Ready out of the Street Sense mare Athena and was bred in Kentucky by Mary K. Grum.
The Leslie’s Lady honors Fred and Nancy Mitchell’s breed-shaping broodmare who produced 15 foals, of which nine became racehorses and seven were winners, including top sire Into Mischief, four-time champion Beholder and Grade I winner and sire Mendelssohn. The 2016 Broodmare of the Year passed away peacefully at age 26 on Jan. 24.
Leslie’s Lady Quotes
Tyler Gaffalione (jockey, Emery, winner): “She’s a very classy filly. She traveled so nicely today, and I was just trying to stay out of her way. Her ears were up down the lane, and I had plenty of horse left.”
Trace Messina (assistant trainer, Emery, winner): “She’s a fairly easy filly to train and always does her job in the mornings. Tyler kept her out of trouble today and she traveled very easily around the turn. It was impressive seeing her draw away while under a hand ride in the stretch.”
