Galinda too good in $135K East View romp
Waterville Lake Stables’ Galinda was a popular winner of Saturday’s $135,000 East View, living up to her 6-5 favoritism with a 9 1/4-length trouncing under Jaime Rodriguez in the seven-furlong sprint for New York-bred sophomore fillies at Aqueduct Racetrack.
Trained by Miguel Clement, the well-named daughter of Good Magic is now a perfect 2-for-2 in her young career, adding to a debut win by three-quarter-lengths when sitting just off the pace in a January 10 six-furlong state-bred maiden here.
“She’s talented, and she’s versatile,” Clement said. “She won her debut from off the pace, and today she went straight to the front. She’s got gears, and she’s very talented, this filly. We’re very, very lucky.
“She handled today with relative ease,” Clement added. “At every stage of the race, I thought she looked like a winner. She dominated, and at any given stage, I was never worried. Jaime looked like he had his hands full, and it was just a question of when he wanted to make his move and how much he wanted to win by.”
Galinda broke alertly from post 4-of-5 and made the lead with little pressure after potential pace presence Pinky Brier was away awkwardly and bobbled from the inside post to track in fourth.
“If the one [Pinky Brier] goes, I sit second but if the one don’t go, the plan was go to the lead,” Rodriguez explained. “Everything worked out the way we wanted it. The one got left, we got the shot to drop her to the rail and every time someone got next to her, she just wanted to keep going.”
Rodriguez angled Galinda down to the inside to float through the opening quarter-mile in 23.64 seconds over the fast footing, with Victory Hall sitting a half-length off her and Pinky Brier being ridden along in tandem with Rina’s Revenge. The half-mile elapsed in 47.38 seconds, and Galinda showed no signs of slowing down, extending her margin through the turn as Rina’s Revenge angled wide around Victory Hall in an effort to reel in the pacesetter.
“I was patient – waiting, waiting, waiting,” Rodriguez added. “Once we got to the quarter-pole, I showed the whip, and she gave me everything.”
Galinda’s rivals were all-out entering the stretch, and were no match as she skipped through three-quarters in 1:11.98 and romped through the final sixteenth to win wrapped up in a final time of 1:24.97 over Rina’s Revenge. Victory Hall finished another two lengths back in third with Purple Devine and Pinky Brier completing the order of finish. Blue Note was scratched.
Clement said he would like to stretch Galinda out a bit more in her next start, but prefers to keep her around one turn. The next offerings for sophomore fillies at the Big A include the one-mile state-bred Maddie May on March 7 and the nine-furlong Grade 3, $200,000 Gazelle on April 4, but Clement said the one-turn 1 1/16-mile Virginia Oaks on March 14 at Colonial Downs is a logical target.
“I think the one we consider strongly is the Virginia Oaks. It’s one turn, but still stretching her,” Clement said. “I don’t know how distance-limited she is, to be frank, but we shall see. She’s a good filly.”
Tim Tully, partner in Waterville Lake Stables, said Galinda is the latest example of the appeal of the New York-bred program.
“We think the New York breeding program is great and to come into our second start and win a stakes race like this speaks to the program,” Tully said. “A $135,000 purse is pretty strong.”
Bred by Daniel J. Burke and Kathleen Burke Schweizer, Galinda was a $120,000 purchase at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred Preferred Yearling Sale and is out of the stakes-winning Super Saver mare Super Humor. She banked $74,250 in victory while returning $4.44 on a $2 win ticket.
Live racing resumes Sunday at the Big A with an eight-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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