Grace Hall romped past her opponents to win the Gulfstream Park Oaks
Anthony Dutrow trained 3-year-old filly, Grace Hall, showed it how it’s done in the Grade 2, $300,000 Gulfstream Oaks when she romped past her opponents to post a huge six and a half length victory over the runner up, Zo Impressive, in the 1 1/8 mile test
on dirt at Gulfstream Park on 31 March, 2012, and in the process stamped herself is the filly to beat in the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
Michael Dubb, Bethlehem Stables, and The Elkstone Group owned, Grace Hall, has been impressive throughout her racing career.
Not finishing worse than second in 6 lifetime starts, Grace Hall became a Grade 1 winner in the second start of her career, when she downed the Spinaway Stakes at seven furlongs over at Saratoga’s dirt course on 4 September, 2011, with the winning time of
1 minute and 23.74 seconds.
The Kentucky bred Empire Maker filly was a whisker away from winning the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies to winner My Miss Aurelia at about 1 1/16 miles under Ramon Dominguez last fall at Churchill Downs.
She started off her 2012 season with a second place finish to winner, Yara, in the Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park over a distance of 1 1/16 miles on 25 February, 2012.
Trainer Anthony Dutrow’s Grace Hall after her victory in the Gulfstream Park Oaks will likely become the early favourite for the Grade 1, $1 million Kentucky Oaks, and the trainer has said that she will be shipped off to Churchill Downs 15 April, 2012, but
before that she will remain at Palm Meadows Training Center to train.
The 6 to 5 favourite for the Gulfstream Park Oaks, Grace Hall rallied down the stretch, as she widened up to open up a significant advantage for her and carried all the way home unchallenged in the final furlong.
“We got the perfect outside trip which is what I wanted," Castellano said. "I was hoping we’d be able to stalk the pace and that’s the way it worked out. She was very strong the entire way today. It was a really impressive effort.”
Tags: