Shalimar Gardens Makes Easy Work of Belmont Maiden

Barry Schwartz homebred Shalimar Gardens (3f Uncle Mo x Princess Violet, by Officer) blew away her competition at Belmont Park on Sunday with a 11 ¾ length Maiden Special Weight romp.

Making her third career start in the one mile dirt race, the filly came out at the break but that was the only mistake she made racing around the oval. She took the lead quickly and handled the pressure put on her by another runner in the early stages before hitting another gear.

Starting to build her lead around the turn, she was given a few taps by Jose Ortiz but he didn’t have to do much to convince her to extend her lead. She had 11 lengths on the field by the time they entered the final furlong and extended that by another three quarters at the line in a gallop.

Only one horse was within 14 ¾ lengths of the Horacio DePaz trainee in the end.

Shalimar Gardens is out of the Grade I winning Princess Violet, who also placed in four other graded stakes. The mare is a half-sister to multiple stakes placed Baime and out of a daughter of Grade I-placed She’s Got The Beat.

Princess Violet has a yearling Justify filly as well.

Uncle Mo is the sire of 11 stakes winners and 22 stakes performers in 2021, led by the Grade I winning Yaupon and four other graded stakes winners.