BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Undefeated in her first three starts, all on grass, before ending her juvenile year with a fifth in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, Florida-bred Ultimate Love makes her first start of the year as the 4-5 morning line favorite in Fridays $125,000 Hilltop Stakes at Laurel Park. The Live Oak Plantation homebred has drawn post two among the seven 3-year-old fillies entered to go a mile on the grass.
Ultimate Love debuted going a mile on the Colonial Downs inner turf in July for trainer Michael Trombetta, winning by nearly three lengths against maiden special weight fillies. She went to Laurel for her next two starts, first winning by six-and-a-three-quarters lengths at a mile in a first condition, $62,500 optional claiming on September 5. She then took the $125,000 Selima by four lengths going a mile-and-a-sixteenth on September 27 before shipping across country to Del Mar for the Breeders’ Cup.
Sent to the post as the 7-2 favorite in the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf going a mile, Ultimate Love was bumped at the start, again jostled by rivals in the far turn and was never allowed to muster her best.
Out of the Bernardini mare Tsunami of Love, Ultimate Love finished her juvenile year with $176,400 in earnings.
John Valenzuela rode her in the Breeders’ Cup and will again be aboard Friday.
Brendan Walsh sends out Use Me (Ire), a two-length winner of a maiden special weight for fillies going a mile on the Keeneland turf course on April 12. The bay daughter of Starman (GB) makes her third career start Friday having debuted with a second to Vekoma View in a maiden special weight for fillies on the Gulfstream Park grass on February 21.
Use Me has earned $55,976 for owner JDT Racing and will be ridden from post one by Tyler Gaffalione. She is 7-2 on the morning line.
Other fillies set to line up for the Hilltop are Coach Mazzula with jockey Jevian Toledo, Flavien Prat has the call on Siouxse, Brat Pack with be ridden by Jorge Ruiz, Jose Ortiz will guide Unmiztaken and Paco Lopez and the call on I Love Giraffes.
Return to the May 12 issue of Wire to Wire
