US Grade One Winner for Galileo

Talented mare Photo Call (5m Galileo x Theaan, by Rock of Gibraltar) scored a Grade I win in the US last year and claimed another one in 2016 with a rousing victory over favourite Tepin in the $400,000 Grade I First Lady Stakes at Keeneland. Photo Call started her career in Ireland for David Wachman before transferring to the US and joining the stable of Graham Motion for whom she won the Grade I Rodeo Drive Stakes. Sent through the Keeneland November Breeding stock Sale last year she fetched $3million to the bid of Crupi’s New Castle and was subsequently switched to Todd Pletcher. Sent to the front by Kent Desormeaux in contrast to the pre-race plan to seek cover, Photo Call led her rivals a merry chase and refused to be caught, charging to the line to beat Tepin by two and three-quarter lengths in the one mile turf feature. “She was really full of herself,” Desormeaux explained. “She was a pleasure to ride. I just drew on the confidence that Mr. Todd Pletcher asked me to ride her. He doesn’t call often, but when he calls, he’s solid.” With six wins from 21 starts and prizemoney topping $800,000, Photo Call is a three-quarter sister-in-blood to recent Group I Newmarket Fillies Mile winner Rhododendron and is the first stakes-winner for her stakes-winning dam Theann, a Grade III winning half-sister by Rock of Gibraltar to Grade I winner Halfway to Heaven.