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Pianist turns in virtuoso performance in Gallorette
"We had two horses in the race, and the plan was for Mike to go to the lead," Brown said. "I thought the fractions were a little strong, but I just left it to the riders. I said, 'You just judge the pace.' I didn't give them any figures. I just left it to them. She looked great, although it looked like Samitar wasn't holding the track on the backside. Both horses were training fine coming into the race, so they both deserved a shot." "I planned to put her on the lead," Smith said, "unless something happened at the break like yesterday with Emollient (who stumbled out of the gate) in the Black-Eyed Susan. She jumped away from the gate very well. "Chad told me before the race that we could win this if we did something a little unusual. I guess a 46-second half was a little unusual. This is the first time I've ridden for Chad, and I plan to ride another five years, so I hope to do this again sometime." Hard Not to Like's connections were happy with her effort, especially in view of her troubled break. "I was quite proud of her," trainer Michael Matz said. "She stumbled pretty bad. We told Johnny (Velazquez) to get close to the pace, but the other horse got away from her a little bit." "Unfortunately, I stumbled out of there, as I wanted to be in there closer to the front," Velazquez said. "We got up, recouped and she ran a great race." Hard Not to Like was best of the rest by 1 1/4 lengths from Appealing Cat, who was the same margin ahead of the belated Samitar. Next came Charged Cotton, Embarr, Silver Screamer and Old Tune. Daydreamin Gracie, who ran fourth in the Allaire duPont, and Idle Talk were both withdrawn. Pianist's resume now reads 10-5-1-1, $300,950, all on turf. A near-miss runner-up in her debut at Saratoga at two, the chestnut rolled to a 5 1/2-length maiden score in her belated reappearance at three. She sailed through her entry-level allowance condition two races later in August, and promptly wired her stakes premiere by 5 1/2 lengths in the September 20 Given Stakes at Belmont. Pianist subsequently disappointed when fourth as the odds-on choice in both the Valley View at Keeneland and the Stardusk at Aqueduct on November 21. Freshened for her four-year-old campaign, Pianist returned with an allowance victory at Gulfstream Park on February 7, but tired to fifth in the March 16 Honey Fox when last seen. Pianist was bred in Kentucky by Grapestock and sold for $100,000 as a Keeneland September yearling. She is out of the winning Red Ransom mare Red Piano, who is a half-sister to multiple Grade 3-placed sire Stanislavsky. This is the family of Irish classic winner and co-champion miler Prince of Birds, Grade 2 victress Special Happening and Group 1 star Sudan. Pianist's fifth dam is Irish champion and noted matron *Glad Rags II, ancestress of last year's Belmont Stakes hero, Union Rags. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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