Pianist captured her first graded stakes in Saturday’s $150,000 Gallorette H. (G3) at Pimlico Race Course (VIDEO). The 4-year-old filly is one of nine stakes winners in 2013 by her sire More Than Ready, whose $2.76 million in progeny earnings this year ranks in the top 10 on the General Sire list.
Ridden by Mike Smith, Pianist went wire to wire on the front end of the 1 1/16-mile turf contest for fillies and mares. She pulled clear in the stretch for a 2 ¾- length triumph over Hard Not to Like.
“I planned to put her on the lead unless something happened at the break like yesterday with Emollient (who stumbled out of the gate) in the Black-Eyed Susan (S., G2 ran Friday at Pimlico),” said her jockey Mike Smith. “She jumped away from the gate very well. Chad (Brown, trainer) told me before the race that we could win this if we did something a little unusual. I guess a 46-second half was a little unusual. This is the first time I’ve ridden for Chad, and I plan to ride another five years, so I hope to do this again sometime.”
Pianist is co-owned by Hidden Brook Farm and Dan Zucker. She won an overnight stakes last year at Belmont Park, and is now 5-1-1 in 10 starts, all on the turf, earning $300,950. Vinery consigned Pianist to the 2010 Keeneland September Yearling sale, where she brought a winning bid of $100,000.
