Chalon Delivers in Belmont's Jersey Girl

In her fourth start, and first outside of Santa Anita Park, Gary Hartunian's Chalon impressed in a stacked $150,000 Jersey Girl Stakes for 3-year-old fillies June 11 at Belmont Park. 

The field of seven included grade 1 winner Pretty City Dancer, last-out grade 3 winner Vertical Oak, stakes winners Yorkiepoo Princess and Golden Mischief, and stakes placed Sadie Be Good.

Leaving the starting gate, 8-5 favorite Vertical Oak failed to break and was declared a non-starter. Cajun Delta Dawn got a head in front and Chalon stayed right with her through fractions of :23.41, :47.73, and :59.18 for five furlongs. 

At the eighth pole, jockey Paco Lopez asked Chalon for more and the 3-year-old filly responded, putting 6 1/2 lengths between her and second place finisher Golden Mischief. Final time for the six furlongs was 1:10.6.

"(When) she was breaking, I had to fight her a little bit and wait just a little bit in this race," Lopez said. "When I asked her to run, she responded. She's nice. She put me right out there and when I asked, she pushed."

Chalon paid $9.30, $5.20, and $4.20 across the board, while Golden Mischief returned $4.10 and $2.60. Third-place finisher Sadie Be Good paid $3, and was followed by Yorkiepoo Princess, Pretty City Dancer, and Cajun Delta Dawn to complete the order of finish.

Trained by Peter Miller, Chalon won her maiden on debut as a 2-year-old, defeating eventual multiple graded stakes winner Unique Bella who went four for four after that start.

In her 2017 debut in the Santa Paula Stakes, Chalon finished sixth behind grade 1 winner Union Strike. In her next start back in optional-claiming allowance company, the daughter of Dialed In   was in the Santa Anita winner's circle again.

Now a stakes winner with three wins from four starts, Chalon has earned $157,545. She was bred by J.K. and Linda Griggs in Kentucky and is out of the Menifee mare Fall Fantasy who has five other winners from eight runners.