A patient ride from Hall of Fame jockey John Velazquez and a powerful late surge carried Warming to victory in Saturday’s Grade 3 Gallorette Stakes at Laurel Park, where the four-year-old filly returned to turf in style after months away from the surface.
Gallorette Stakes 2026.
Representing Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and trained by Graham Motion, Warming swept past Austere inside the final furlong before drawing clear to defeat Child of the Moon by one length in the $150,000 Gallorette presented by Old Bay. The race, contested over 1 1/16 miles on the All Along turf course, was one of the featured events on the undercard of the 151st Preakness Stakes program.
Stopping the clock in 1:41.16 on firm ground, Warming rewarded her supporters with a polished performance that suggested a return to top form. The filly had not raced on grass since capturing the Grade 2 Autumn Miss at Santa Anita last October and entered the race following three unsuccessful outings on dirt and synthetic surfaces.
Motion, who earlier celebrated success with Turf Star in the James W. Murphy Stakes, secured his fourth career victory in the Gallorette after previous wins with Mean Mary, Ultra Brat and Film Maker. Velazquez, meanwhile, added a third Gallorette triumph to his résumé following earlier successes aboard Roshani and No Explaining.
The early fractions were set by Motion-trained Ribaltagaia, who led through an opening quarter in 23.95 seconds and a half-mile in 48.27 while pressed by Austere. Favourite Awesome Czech tracked the leaders in third as Warming settled comfortably in sixth along the backstretch.
Velazquez gradually edged Warming into contention approaching the far turn before finding room between rivals at the top of the lane. Once clear, the filly accelerated strongly and quickly seized command inside the eighth pole before powering home decisively.
Child of the Moon finished second after closing late from the rear, while 16-1 outsider Cheetah Lady produced an eye-catching rally to take third. Austere faded to fourth ahead of Accent, Awesome Czech, Ribaltagaia and Mahra’s Love.
Motion admitted afterward that Warming had long shown significant promise despite enduring setbacks earlier in her career.
“We’ve always loved this filly. She was my best two-year-old,” Motion said. “I had a lot of issues with her early on, but we always thought she was this kind of filly. I think finally we saw her today.”
The Maryland-based trainer also credited Velazquez’s patient handling for helping unlock the filly’s best performance.
“Johnny said today he was just going to leave her alone. He was determined just to let her settle,” Motion added. “We just did right by her this time.”
Velazquez echoed that assessment, explaining that allowing Warming to relax early proved crucial.
“Today she got to relax off the pace,” the veteran rider said. “I was going to make one move with her no matter what. When it was time to go, she responded really well.”
Irad Ortiz Jr., aboard runner-up Child of the Moon, said his mount produced her usual late run but simply could not reel in the winner. Trainer Whit Beckman expressed satisfaction with Cheetah Lady’s closing third-place effort, describing it as an ideal starting point for the filly’s longer-term campaign.
The Gallorette Stakes itself remains one of the historic turf contests for older fillies and mares in American racing. The race honours Gallorette, the celebrated mare who retired in 1948 as the world’s richest female racehorse after winning 21 races and earning Hall of Fame recognition in 1962.
Warming’s victory now places her firmly among the notable turf mares to watch through the remainder of the season, particularly after proving she remains at her most effective on grass.
For more stories, results, and updates from the world of horse racing, stay tuned to racebuzz