by Ron Parker
Pacesetter Wild Promises, racing for the estate of the late Harry Aleo, repelled a challenge in the stretch and edged clear late to win the $100,000 My Charmer Handicap (G3) at Calder Race Course on Saturday.
Much of the attention in the 1 1/8-mile race for fillies and mares focused on Virginia Kraft Payson’s homebred Grade 1 winner Rutherienne. Sent off as the 1.30-to-1 favorite, Rutherienne had finished third in her previous five starts, including three Grade 1 stakes, entering the My Charmer.
Wild Promises made her graded stakes debut in the My Charmer. Trained by Greg Gilchrist, the four-year-old Wild Event filly reeled off four consecutive stakes victories in Northern California entering the race and was partnered for the first time with jockey Aaron Gryder.
Wild Promises went right to the lead under Gryder and set steady fractions of :24.30 and :48.54 with Jeux de Danse tracking her in second through six furlongs in 1:11.96.
Jermaine Bridgmohan urged Jeux de Danse ahead on the outside to challenge Wild Promises on the turn. Wild Promises saved ground on the inside, took the turn flawlessly, and turned back the challenge in the stretch. She drove steadily to the finish for a one-length victory, completing the distance in 1:47.78 on firm turf.
“I told Aaron [Gryder] that he could find himself on the lead, but not to worry,” Gilchrist said. “She’s got all ones, twos, and threes [positions early] in her past performances, so she wants to be up there. We had pretty much kept her protected at home [in Northern California] until now, but felt that she had earned a chance to go on to bigger things, and Calder has always been good to us in the past.”
Callwood Dancer (Ire) closed late to take second, a neck in front of Rutherienne, who closed with a rush once guided clear of traffic. Jeux de Danse finished another neck back in fourth.
Bred in Florida by Arthur Appleton, Wild Promises is out of the unraced Frosty the Snowman mare Frosty Promise and is a half sister to multiple graded stakes winner Icy Atlantic. The bay filly has won 11 of 16 starts and earned $381,610.
For an Equibase chart, click here.
Ron Parker is a Thoroughbred Times contributing writer