Gambling Girl, a daughter of Dialed In bred by Gallagher’s Stud, gallops this week at Churchill Downs in preparation for Friday’s Kentucky Oaks. Coady Photography.
Repole Stable’s Gambling Girl will fly the flag for the New York breeding program in Friday’s 149th renewal of the $1,250,000 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.
The 3-year-old daughter of Dialed In drew post position No. 3 in the full field for the 9-furlong Oaks, with four-time Eclipse Award-winning jockey Irad Ortiz Jr. named to ride at 15-1. The Oaks draw attracted 14 runners led by 5-2 morning-line favorite Wet Paint, 4-1 second choice Botanical and 8-1 third pick Southlawn.
Gambling Girl was the second-to-last Oaks runner announced during Monday’s post draw, with only the rail spot and post 3 unoccupied.
“She was one of the last few out so it was either the 1 or 3; we’d obviously prefer 3 over 1,” trainer Todd Pletcher said. “She’s going to need to save some ground all the way around there for us to have a shot.”
Gambling Girl comes into the Oaks with a 2-2-2 record in nine starts and earnings of $257,410. A stakes winner at 2, Gambling Girl finished second in the Busanda Stakes in mid-January at Aqueduct to start her sophomore campaign before a fourth in the Grade 3 Honeybee Stakes at Oaklawn Park and a second in the Grade 3 Gazelle Stakes April 8 at Aqueduct.
Promiseher America won the Gazelle at 25-1, just a half-length ahead of Gambling Girl, and is also in the field for the Oaks.
Bred by and foaled at Gallagher’s Stud in Ghent, Gambling Girl is out of the winning Empire Maker mare Tulipmania. A third-generation homebred for Gallagher’s Stud – founded by Jerry and Marlene Brody and carried on by Marlene after Jerry’s death in 2001 – Tulipmania is the dam of three other winners including stakes-placed Market Bubble and 10-time winner and $228,851-earner Chic N Wilbur.
Mike Repole purchased Gambling Girl for $200,000 out of the Denali Stud consignment at the 2021 Fasig-Tipton Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale. She broke her maiden in her third start in late August at Saratoga then won the Joseph A. Gimma Stakes over fellow New York-bred fillies a month later. Gambling Girl closed the 2022 season with a fourth in the Maid of the Mist Stakes on Empire Showcase Day.
Tulipmania is also the dam of the 2-year-old Candy filly Gallant Greta, a $90,000 purchase at last year’s Saratoga New York-bred yearling sale; and a yearling full brother to Gambling Girl. She was bred to Medaglia d’Oro in 2022.
