Olorda Front-Running Winner of Bewitch

German-bred Olorda has found new life racing on the lead, as evidenced by a gate-to-wire win the $150,000 Bewitch Stakes (gr. IIIT) for fillies and mares April 29, closing day of the spring meet at Keeneland.

With Julien Leparoux riding for the second time, Martin Schwartz's 4-year-old filly by Lord of England out of the Desert King mare Oligarchica capitalized in a 1 1/2-mile turf event full of closing types. She relaxed well on the lead throughout and had enough to hold off late-running Al's Gal and Javier Castellano, who ended up winning the spring meet riding title at Keeneland. 

Olorda, bred by Gestut Berwangerhof, made her United States debut last July with an 11th-place finish in the Belmont Oaks Invitational (gr. IT). She next raced in October at Keeneland and finished fourth in the Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup (gr. IT), then shipped to California and checked in 12th of 14 in the Matriarch Stakes (gr. IT) at Del Mar.

Trainer Chad Brown brought Olorda back to the races March 5 at Gulfstream Park, and with Leparoux riding, the filly showed good early foot to lead all the way in the 1 3/16-mile The Very One Stakes (gr. IIIT). It was her first win since a group III stakes at Longchamp in France in May 2015.

BALAN: Brown Runs 1-2-3 in The Very One Stakes

Brown credited Leparoux for the ride in the Bewitch and said the jockey and filly "are a great combination," because Olorda can be a bit difficult to handle. "She (raced in front) in last race and it worked out," he said. "(Julien) executed it perfectly today."

Olorda quickly opened up two lengths after the start and led Annulment by that margin for more than a mile, through fractions of :24.86 for the opening quarter-mile, :49.27 for a half-mile, 1:14.64 for six furlongs, and 1:39.97 for the flat mile. Annulment held second through mid-stretch but was passed by Al's Gal and favored Songoficeandfire late.

Olorda held on to win by a half-length, with a finishing time of 2:30.09 on a course rated firm. Al's Gal had 1 3/4 lengths on Songandiceandfire.

"I wanted to get the early lead and try to get her to relax," Leparoux said of Olorda, who paid $8.60 as the second choice in a field of 10. "She did pretty good today."

Olorda, with four wins and two thirds in 10 starts, has earned $290,447.

Al's Gal, a 5-year-old Pennsylvania-bred English Channel   filly owned by Ken and Sarah Ramsey, finished fourth behind Olorda in The Very One last time out. The Ramseys, who won their seventh Keeneland spring meet owner title and 17th at the Lexington track overall, claimed Al's Gal for $35,000 in February 2015.

"That $35,000 claim didn't run too badly, did she?" Ken Ramsey said. "I've got to get a rabbit."

Ramsey said it never gets old winning meet owner titles, and he will set his sights on Belmont Park. He will have horses at Churchill Downs but said winning the spring meet title there isn't a priority.

"I'm not saying we're not going to win it at Churchill, but we're going where the money is," he said. "We're going to Belmont. It's kind of like eating popcorn and Crackerjacks—the more you eat the more you want, and the more you win the more you want to win."

Mike Maker, who trains Al's Gal and many other horses for the Ramseys, won the spring meet training title at Keeneland.