No Standout in Wide-Open Gallorette

With 13 evenly-matched fillies and mares entered for the $150,000 Gallorette Handicap (gr. IIIT) at Pimlico Race Course May 16, the 1 1/16-mile turf race is up for grabs, with several horses boasting enough back class to make their presence felt.

In fact, none of the 13 entered is even coming off a victory of any kind, so the wagering figures to be spread out.

Hard Not to Like, trained by Christophe Clement, is coming off a third, beaten 2 3/4 lengths in the Jenny Wiley Stakes (gr. IT) at Keeneland, and that race alone gives her a big shot in here. The daughter of Hard Spun   actually won the Jenny Wiley last year and then returned from a layoff to win the Endeavor Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs before her repeat try in the Jenny Wiley.

Hard Not to Like carries top weight of 122 pounds and concedes six to 10 pounds to her rivals and will have John Velazquez aboard.

Another hard-knocking filly to reckon with is the Chad Brown-trained Watsdachances, who hasn't run since finishing a fast-closing fourth in the Flower Bowl Invitational Stakes (gr. IT) at Belmont Park | BloodHorse.com Track Profile">Belmont Park last fall. The Irish-bred daughter of Diamond Green has finished in the money in 11 of her 15 career starts, never having finished worse than fourth, and has bankrolled more than $617,000. Javier Castellano has the mount and will carry only 114 pounds.

Michael Matz and Graham Motion will send two foreign imports over from the Fair Hill Training Center. Matz will saddle Irish-bred Mango Diva, winner of the group II Kilboy Estate Stakes at the Curragh, as well as a group III stakes at Gowran Park. The daughter of Holy Roman Empire gets Lasix for the first time and will have the services of Gary Stevens.

Motion will send out English-bred Token of Love, a winner of three of seven career starts, finishing in the money in six of them. She carries 113 pounds, while Mango Diva gets in with 114.

Also expected to take action is the Ken and Sarah Ramsey-owned Emotional Kitten, trained by Wesley Ward, whose best effort came two races back with s second-place finish in the grade II Goldikova Stakes at Santa Anita. Joel Rosario will ride for the first time and carry 116 pounds.

Another in with a shot is the Jonathan Sheppard-trained Cat's Claw, who hasn't run since finishing a close fourth in the Dowager Stakes at Keeneland last fall. The daughter of Dynaformer also won the Waya Stakes at Saratoga Race Course last summer.

Shug McGaughey sends in Stuart Janney III's Run of the River, who was beaten a nose in the Dahlia Stakes at Pimlico in April. Edgar Prado has the mount.