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Gorella overwhelms foes in Beverly D.

Gorella overpowered her rivals in late stretch (Benoit Photo) Martin Schwartz's GORELLA (Fr) (Grape Tree Road [GB]) had been regarded as the best turf filly in the United States by her trainer Patrick Biancone earlier this season, and the chestnut emphatically vindicated his judgment with an authoritative 1 3/4-length score in the $750,000 Beverly D. S. (G1) on Saturday. Under confident handling by Julien Leparoux, the 6-5 favorite completed 1 3/16 miles in a sharp 1:53 3/5 on the firm turf at Arlington Park, just two ticks off the course record. The eventual winner didn't break particularly alertly from her rail post, but Leparoux was content to let the four-year-old stride along at the tail of the field in the early stages. California shipper Live Life (Fr) (Linamix) dictated a legitimate pace up front through splits of :23 1/5, :46 4/5 and 1:11, stalked by Sharp Lisa (Dixieland Band) and Wend (Pulpit). On the far turn, Gorella switched outside and rapidly passed rivals to reach a contending position in fourth, and once straightening six wide into the stretch, she delivered a dazzling burst of acceleration. Sweeping past the leading flight as well as a rallying Honey Ryder (Lasting Approval), Gorella made her rivals look one-paced as she sprinted to a clear lead and crossed the wire as much the best beneath a jubilant Leparoux.

"You have to have patience with this filly," Leparoux said. "It's the only way to ride her. She's like a machine."

"(Leparoux) is a very cool guy," Biancone said. "He waited to the last moment, and he won the first Grade 1 win of his life.

"Today, we saw a new part of (Gorella's) game," the trainer continued. "She can go longer than a mile. It was a gamble for us, but (she) had trained really well. We came, we won and we were the best today."

Film Maker (Dynaformer) became embroiled in traffic at a key point in upper stretch and was forced to steady, but as soon as the dark bay saw a glimmer of daylight between rivals, she burst through for second. Another half-length adrift came Live Life, who just held third by a nose over Honey Ryder as the pair flashed past the line as a virtual team. It was another 2 1/4 lengths back to Rich in Spirit (Repriced), followed by Royal Copenhagen (Fr) (Inchinor [GB]), Sharp Lisa, Wend, Minge Cove (Sandpit [Brz]) and Rising Cross (GB) (Cape Cross [Ire]). Chic Dancer (Joyeux Danseur) was withdrawn.

Gorella returned $4.60, $3 and $2.40 while spearheading exotics worth $17.20 (exacta), $148.40 (trifecta) and $366.20 (1-11-7-6 superfecta). Sent off as the co-second choice at 3-1, Film Maker gave back $3.60 and $2.40, and the 14-1 Live Life yielded $5.60 to show.

Having placed four times at Grade/Group 1 level, Gorella broke through with her first triumph at this august level in the Beverly D. Her previous stakes victories came in the Prix de Sandringham (Fr-G2) last year in France and the Just a Game H. (G2) at Belmont Park last time out. Among her most notable placings, she was second versus older males in the Prix du Moulin de Longchamp (Fr-G1), third in the Prix d'Astarte (Fr-G1), and an agonizingly close third in both the Queen Elizabeth II Invitational Challenge Cup S. (G1) and the Breeders' Cup Mile (G1) last fall. Her record now stands at 15-6-2-5 with a bankroll to the tune of $1,208,209.

Bred in France by E.A.R.L. Elevage de la Source, the winner was sold as a yearling for $27,000 at the 2003 Deauville October Sale. She is the first registered foal from Exciting Times (Jeune Homme), making her a half-sister to 2006 Prix Omnium II winner and Group 1-placed Porto Santo (Fr) (Kingsalsa), who was also in action on Saturday and lost a heartbreaking photo when second in the La Jolla H. (G2) at Del Mar. Gorella's fourth dam is Crepellana (Crepello), 1969 champion three-year-old filly in France.

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