BALTIMORE, 04-26-14---Trainer Chris Grove won the $75,000 Geisha Stakes for the fifth time, this time with Lewis Family Racing Stable’s Celtic Katie, who beat Maryland-bred filly and mares this afternoon at Pimlico Race Course.

Celtic Katie was winning her first lifetime stakes after finishing second in both the Nellie Morse and Conniver Stakes at Laurel Park earlier this year. This afternoon, the 5-year-old bay mare and jockey Javier Santiago tracked the speed of Brenda’s Way and Addison Run before taking a path inside of both, grabbing the lead a furlong from home and winning off by 5-1/4 lengths. Brenda’s Way held on for second. Addison Run finished third.

“The trainer told me to try to follow the leader and try to keep herback a bit but not to fight her,” Santiago said. “That can be hard. It depends on the horse. If the horse helps you it’s okay. Today, she just waited until I asked and when I asked she went well. I saw an opening between the turn and the quarter pole. I decided to stay on the inside and she just ran up the rail. It went just the way we hoped it would.”

The winner completed the mile and one sixteenth distance in 1:46.67 over the fast main track and paid $12. The daughter of Posse improved to four-of-20 lifetime with earnings of $198,835. Grove previously won the Geisha with Silmaril (2004), Lexi Star (2007-08) and Princess Nyla (2009).

“This is a filly I have always rooted for. She is a great big, good looking filly,” Grove said. “The Maryland-bred program has been very good to me.”

About Pimlico Race Course

Historic Pimlico Race Course, home of the Preakness® Stakes, the middle jewel in horse racing's famed Triple Crown, first opened its doors on October 25, 1870, and is the second oldest racetrack in the United States. Pimlico has played host to racing icons and Baltimoreans have seen the likes of legendary horses such as Man o’ War, Seabiscuit, Secretariat, Affirmed and Cigar thunder down the stretch in thrilling and memorable competition. For more information on Pimlico, visit www.pimlico.com.

Pimlico Race Course is a Stronach Group company, North America’s leading Thoroughbred racetrack owner/operator. The Stronach Group racetracks include Santa Anita Park, Gulfstream Park & Casino, Golden Gate Fields, Portland Meadows, Laurel Park and Pimlico Race Course, home of the world-famous Preakness. The company owns and operates the Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida and is one of North America's top race horse breeders through its award-winning Adena Springs operation. The Stronach Group is one of the world's largest suppliers of pari-mutuel wagering systems, technologies and services. Its companies include AmTote, a global leader in wagering technology; Xpressbet, an Internet and telephone account wagering service; and Monarch Content Management, which acts as a simulcast purchase and sales agent of horseracing content for numerous North American racetracks and wagering outlets. The Stronach Group is also a major producer of televised horse racing programming through its HRTV cable and satellite network and is North America's premier supplier of virtual online horse racing games, as well as a leading producer of social media content for the horseracing industry.