BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Lennilu, winner of the Leinster Melody of Colors at Gulfstream Park last out, travels to Keeneland for her second start of the year in Friday’s $350,000 FanDuel Limestone (Grade 3) for 3-year-old fillies. An overflow field of 14, including Florida-bred Midnight Martini and Will Happen on the also-eligible list, have entered the Limestone, set for five-and-a-half furlongs on the turf.
In addition to the purse, Lennilu, and Midnight Martini should she draw in, will run for $5,000 in Export Incentives. Export Incentives are paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association to the breeders of Florida-breds who win selected races run outside of Florida.
Lennilu returns to Keeneland, where she broke her maiden in her first out over a sloppy four-and-a-half furlongs in April of last year. She then won the $100,000 Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies on the grass at Gulfstream Park in May before shipping to Great Britian to run third in the Group 2 Queen Mary at Royal Ascot in July. Trainer Patrick Biancone brought her back to Gulfstream to win the $100,000 Desert Vixen, the six-furlong leg of the FTBOA Florida Sire Stakes on September 6, and the $75,000 Leinster Hollywood Beach going five furlongs against males on the turf three weeks later.
She finished her juvenile year in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar on October 31, finishing seventh behind winner Cy Fair, who she faces again Friday. Biancone later reported that Lennilu was in heat during Breeders’ Cup week and not at the top of her game.
After a nearly five-month break, Lennilu returned to win the $120,000 Melody of Colors by three-quarters of a length on the Gulfstream grass on March 22.
Lennilu has five wins and a third in seven starts while earning $294,129 for a long list of owners that include Amy Dunne, Caitlin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing, Tranquility Lake Farms, Maury Harrington and Christopher K. Harrington.
She was a $23,000 purchase by Glencrest Farm out of the Abbie Road Farm consignment at the 2024 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Winter Mixed Sale.
Lennilu is out of Lulu’s Pom Pom, by Pomeroy and was bred in Florida by Helen and Joseph Barbarzon of Morriston, Florida.
Luis Saez, who has ridden Lennilu in five of her seven races, will again be aboard. Lennilu has post eight and is 9-2 on the morning line.
The George Weaver-trained Cy Fair makes her first start since winning Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint and is the 9-5 morning line favorite.
The bay daughter of Not This Time went three-for-four last year including a three-and-a-quarter-length victory in the $184,000 bet365 Algonquin (Listed) at Woodbine in October. Her only loss came when second to Limestone rival Snow Face Princess in the $145,000 Bolton Landing Stakes on the Saratoga grass in August.
Cy Fair has post nine and will have Irad Ortiz Jr. in the saddle.
Snow Fair Princess has one start since the Bolton Landing, a second to Limestone entrant Quiet Street in the $996,000 Untappable going six-and-a-half furlongs on the grass at Kentucky Downs in September.
Trainer Steve Asmussen has named Flavien Prat to ride and they will depart post 10.
Florida-bred Midnight Martini – ©Adam Coglianese
Midnight Martini is owned by Hugh and Valerie Dailey’s Blue Crevalle Racing in partnership with Torie Gladwell and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners. In two career starts, she won at first asking at Gulfstream Park on January 30 and was next second in a first level allowance going five furlongs on the synthetic at Gulfstream on March 5.
Should she drawn into the body of the race, trainer Mark Casse will give the leg up to Javier Castellano, who has aboard for both of her previous races.
Midnight Martini is by Yaupon out of Tex Appeal, by Successful Appeal and was bred in Florida by Valerie Dailey and Torie Gladwell’s Southern Wives Partners.
Rounding out the entries are Sapphire Beach (Ire) with jockey Jose Ortiz, Pure Eloquence with Tyler Gaffalione named to ride, Axel Concepcion has the call on Map of the Moon, Quiet Street will be ridden by Junior Alvarado, Light Won Up has Antonio Fresu taking the assignment, James Graham rides Candy Talking, Slay the Day will have John Velazquez in the saddle and Joel Rosario is named on Should’ve.
Return to the April 9 issue of Wire to Wire
