FASTEST 3-YEAR-OLD FILLY MASHALLAH GETS FIRST STAKES TEST IN TYSON GILPIN
Posted on July 31st, 2026
Speedy filly Mashallah looks for her first stakes sin in Saturday’s $100,000 Tyson Gilpin as part of the Festival of Racing at Colonial Downs. Photo credit: Coady Media
NEW KENT, Va. (July 30, 2026) — Few 3-year-old fillies in the country have flashed the kind of brilliance that JR Ranch’s Mashallah has shown in just three starts. On Saturday at Colonial Downs, the $1.25 million daughter of Maxfield takes the next step in her rapid ascent with her stakes debut in the $100,000 Tyson Gilpin, a seven-furlong test for sophomore fillies that drew a field of nine.
The Tyson Gilpin, Race 6 on Colonial Downs’ 12-race Festival of Racing program, is one of three dirt stakes on the card before the program transitions to a series of turf stakes led by the Grade 1 Arlington Million. Tyler Gaffalione has the return call aboard Mashallah for trainer Brendan Walsh.
While Mashallah has yet to contest a stakes race, her speed figures already place her in rare company.
She announced herself with a dazzling 106 Beyer Speed Figure when breaking her maiden at Keeneland in April, one of the highest numbers earned by any 3-year-old this season. After finishing fifth when stretched to a mile in allowance company at Churchill Downs, she rebounded emphatically on July 4 at Saratoga, drawing away by seven lengths in a first-level allowance while earning a 96 Beyer.
“I think she’s very good, but she kind of surprised us all the first day she ran,” Walsh said. “We always thought she was nice, but she ran such a huge number.”
Walsh viewed her lone defeat as more a product of circumstance than ability.
“Maybe the second day, she just got caught cold a little bit, you know?” Walsh said. “Maybe it went a little quick or it could have been her lack of experience. But she really ran well the last day at Saratoga. I think (the Tyson Gilpin) is a nice next step for her.”
Saturday’s seven-furlong distance also appears well within her scope.
“The Saratoga race was at six and a half (furlongs), and she wasn’t stopping, so I don’t see the seven being a problem,” Walsh said. “Right now, it’s probably as far as you would want to go with her, but she has so much speed, she should be able to carry it, especially now that she’s had another run under her belt.”
Mashallah’s preparation for the Tyson Gilpin has come at Saratoga, where she has trained alongside stablemate Original Sin, a graded stakes-winning older horse.
“You’re a little restricted because we’ve only got a handful of dirt horses up there,” Walsh said. “I think they’re good partners for each other, and she has been working very well. I thought her work on Friday (July 24) was very, very good. So she’s going the way you’d like a filly to go.”
Mashallah will not have the Tyson Gilpin to herself. The field includes Shilling, a stakes winner trained by Kenny McPeek who ran third to Explora in the Leslie’s Lady in June at Churchill Downs; Wrong Shoes, third in the Grade 2 Beaumont earlier this spring before three sharp allowance performances; Celebrity Quest, making her 3-year-old debut and first start for Brad Cox after winning twice at 2; and local stakes performer Slewperstitus, runner-up in Colonial’s Miss Disco Stakes earlier this month.
The Tyson Gilpin serves as the opening leg of the 50-cent All Stakes Old Dominion 6 (Races 6-11), featuring a player-friendly 15% takeout and concluding with the Grade 1 Arlington Million. First post Saturday is noon ET.
Tickets for the Colonial Downs Festival of Racing are available at ColonialDowns.com.
