Betting with, and against, Ballerina d’Oro in the Gazelle Stakes

A total of eight three-year-old fillies with their eyes on Louisville for the first Friday in May will contest Saturday’s $200,000 Gazelle S. (G3) at Aqueduct. The 1 1/8-mile affair is led by the Chad Brown-trained #2 Ballerina d’Oro (1-1), who has placed in the Demoiselle S. (G2) and Davona Dale S. (G2) in her last pair of assignments. 

Ballerina d’Oro ran on the lawn in her first trio of races, and she has really elevated her game with the combination of the surface change and addition of blinkers as of late. Kentucky-bred bay ran a good one at Gulfstream Park to commence her sophomore campaign, and she will be formidable against this group with an expected move forward second off the bench. Dylan Davis will be in the stirrups atop the deserving favorite.

Ballerina d’Oro – With

• $10 Trifecta: 2 with 5 with 4,7 ($20)
• $5 Trifecta: 2 with 4,7 with 5 ($10)
• $1 Superfecta: key 2 with 4,5,7 ($6)

Ballerina d’Oro – Against

• $2 Superfecta: 5 with 2 with 4,7 with all ($20)
• $1 Superfecta: 5 with 4,7 with 2 with all ($10)
• $1 Trifecta: 4,5,7 with 2 with 4,5,7 ($6)

For those looking for alternatives to the top choice, #5 Deloraine (8-1) is intriguing at a fair price. Third in the grassy Florida Oaks (G3) in her latest endeavor, the Godolphin homebred has some class to her, and she has also improved her Brisnet Speed figure in each career performance, as well. Candy Ride filly has good tactical speed and will get the jump on the favorite turning for home with Mike Smith coming in to ride. 

Saffie Joseph’s #4 Early On (6-1) has shown marked improvement since being moved to route races two back and exits a good runner-up finish in the Virginia Oaks at Colonial Downs last time out. Union Rags three-year-old will have to get faster to upset this field, but the bay is trending in the right direction and wouldn’t be a huge surprise with Javier Castellano taking the reins. 

#7 Pure Beauty (9-2) is another with improving form lines and had a solid prep for this when third while wide throughout in an allowance tilt at Gulfstream Park in her latest venture. The $435,000 daughter of Malibu Moon was a smart maiden heroine two back, and I feel like she will prosper with the added ground on Saturday, too. Samuel Marin will pilot the late-running filly.