BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Florida-breds Ultimate Love and That’s How We Love look for the first graded stakes victory of their career Friday at Keeneland Race Course in the $400,000 Bank of America Valley View (Grade 2), a one-mile test on the grass for ten 3-year-old fillies.
In addition to racing for the winner’s share of the purse, an out-of-state victory at this level by Ultimate Love or That’s How We Love would also earn their respective breeders a $5,000 Export Incentive paid by the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Ultimate Love won the first three starts of her career last year including a four-length triumph in the $125,000 Selima at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Laurel Park turf on September 27 before trainer Michael Trombetta sent her cross country to Del Mar for the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies (G1) on October 31. Although she was bumped at the start and again in deep stretch when trying to make up ground, she was a respectable fifth, just three lengths off winner Balantina (Ire).
The chestnut daughter of Curlin has not won in five starts thus far in 2026, all on turf, but was second twice in stakes. After a five-month break following the Breeders’ Cup, she was just a head shy of winner Coach Mazzula in the one-mile Hilltop (Listed) at Laurel on May 15 and two races back, missed by a half-length in the Grade 2 Lake Placid at the same distance at Saratoga Race Course on August 29.
Ultimate Love exits a sixth after setting the pace in the one-mile Winter Memories (G3) won by Shelzaw with Sister Troinne second at Belmont Park on October 1. Sister Trionne is the 6-5 morning line favorite in the Valley View.
Out of Tsunami of Love, by Bernardini, Ultimate Love is a homebred for Live Oak Plantation, for whom she has earned $295,200 from three wins and two seconds in nine starts.
John Velazquez rides Ultimate Love from post one and they are listed at 6-1 on the morning line.
That’s How We Love makes just the third start of her abbreviated career for trainer Philip Antonacci and owner Lindy Farms.
Bred in Florida by Jean E. White of Reddick and Justify Syndicate, That’s How We Love trounced a field of maiden special weight fillies going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the Monmouth Park sod on July 17, winning by eighth-and-a-quarter lengths. She encountered trouble at the start of her next race but rallied from last of nine to miss by just a half length when fourth in the first conditon, $100,000 optional claiming won by People Watching going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on the grass at Saratoga on August 29.
That’s How We Love has earned $31,200 in her two starts and is cross entered in the $200,000 Sands Point (G3) on the Belmont Park turf—also on Friday—where she is third at number 13 on the also-eligible list.
Reylu Gutierrez is named to ride That’s How We Love in the Valley View. They have post nine and are 12-1 in the program.
The Winter Memories was the first race in nearly six months for Sister Troienne and first since fifth in the Applachian (G2) going a mile on the grass at Keeneland on April 4.
She won her maiden in her second lifetime start going a mile on the turf at Churchill in September of last year then rattled off four straight wins, including three stakes during the winter at Gulfstream Park.
She won the $100,000 Wait A While by three lengths on synthetic in November then was switched to the grass for a length and three-quarters score in the $155,000 Ginger Brew (Listed) at a mile on January 3. Sister Troienne next took the $150,000 Sweetest Chant (Listed) by nearly three lengths over a grassy mile-and-a-sixteenth on January 31.
Sister Troienne just missed in the one-mile Herecomesthebride (G3), finishing second by a head to Lion Lake on the grass at Gulfstream before trainer Brian Lynch took her to Keeneland for the Appalachian.
A winner of five of nine races with two seconds and a third, Sister Troienne has earned a field best $476,871 for Woodslane Racing.
Sister Troienne will be ridden from post five by Irad Ortiz Jr.
Others fillies set for the Valley View are Spin a Tune with jockey Jaime Torres, Define (Ire) has Tyler Gaffalione named to ride, Call on Me will have Cristian Torres up, Danny Sheehy has the assignment on Rhapsody in Motion, Jose Ortiz will take the reins on Essential Lady, Faye’s Gold will have Adam Beschizza in the irons and Francisco Arrieta teams with Dakotah Blue.
Return to the October 22 issue of Wire to Wire
