BY BROCK SHERIDAN

Ms. Bucchero, Sunset Express and Admiral Hopper will represent the Sunshine State breeders Saturday at Colonial Downs when they head to the starting gate for the $100,000 Love Sign Stakes for fillies and mares, 3-years-old and older going six furlongs.

The 5-year-old Ms. Bucchero is the most accomplished of the trio with her multiple stakes-winning credentials including victories in the $99,000 Willa On The Move and $100,000 What A Summer during the winter at Laurel Park.

 

Her gate to wire score in the six-furlong What a Summer on Jan. 18 is one of two starts this year for the Diane Morici trainee who on Saturday makes her second start off a six-month layoff. Most recently, she was second to Factorbella in the $100,000 Regret at the same distance on July 20 at Monmouth Park.

Ms. Bucchero concluded her 2024 season winning the six-and-a-half-furlong Willa On The Move by length, adding to her win in a six-furlong allowance race at Laurel in June.

For her career, Ms. Bucchero has won half of her 16 career starts with four seconds while earning $344,950. She has raced for current owner Morici Racing Stable since November of 2023 during which time she has won four of nine starts with two seconds.

By Bucchero out of the Mutakddim mare Give Glory to God, Ms. Bucchero was bred in Florida by Pamela Edel. She was consigned by Eddie Herrera’s Nice and Easy Thoroughbreds at the 2022 Ocala Breeders’ Sales Spring Sale, but did not meet her reserve.

She is 7-2 on the morning line and will be ridden by Fernando Jara from post five.

Sunset Express rides a two-race win streak into the Love Sign but makes her first start since May 22 for trainer Joel Campbell and owners Curt Gielow and Richard Erickson.

The 3-year-old daughter of Ocala Stud’s leading Florida sire Khozan broke her maiden by nearly nine lengths in her fifth career start on April 27, defeating special weight maiden fillies and mares over five-and-a-half furlongs. She came right back to win a first condition allowance race by three-and-a-quarter lengths going six furlongs, both under jockey Alexis Centeno.

Sunset Express is out of Jelly Cable, by Sky Mesa and was bred in Florida by Tom Bozarth. She has two wins in six starts with earnings of $41,860.

She did not meet her reserve at the 2023 OBS October Sale when consigned by Beth Bayer but sold for $20,000 to Gracie Mae Stable out of the Kings Equine consignment at the 2024 Fasig-Tipton Midlantic Sale of 2-year-olds in training.

 

Centeno gets the return mount on Sunset Express, who has post eight and is 8-1 on the morning line.

Trainer Justin Nixon scratched Admiral Hopper out of the July 17 Dashing Beauty at Delaware Park in favor of the Love Sign. 

Her last start on dirt came two races back when third in the $99,000 Primonetta going six furlongs on sloppy track at Laurel on April 12. That was sandwiched between two races against stakes company on the grass including when tenth in the $100,000 The Very One going five furlongs at Pimlico on May 16. In one other start this year, Admiral Hopper was seventh, beaten only four-and-a-half lengths by winning Florida-bred Great Venezuela in the $125,000 Lightning City going five furlongs on the Tampa Bay Downs turf on Feb. 22.

Admiral Hopper is a 7-year-old daughter of Field Commission out of Flower Class, by Stormy Atlantic. She is owned by Stonebase LLC and was bred in Florida by Krista Seltzer and Edward Seltzer. Admiral Hopper has seven wins, two seconds and a third in 16 career races with eanings of $208,625.

 

She is 15-1 in the program and Jean Gregor Briceno will guide her from post four.

Completing the field are Happy Clouds with jockey Denis Araujo, Mosienko with rider J. D. Acosta, Johan Rosado has the call on Costa Amalfitana, Bourbon Breeze will be ridden by Francisco Arrieta, Alani will have Andy Hernandez in the irons and Top Gun Girl with Ben Curtis up.

Return to the July 25 issue of Wire to Wire