BY BROCK SHERIDAN
In six career races, all on grass, Live Oak Planation’s homebred Ultimate Love has finished out of the top two only twice, both against some of the best of her class in Grade 1 stakes. She was a good fifth, just three lengths behind winner Balantine (Ire) in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar in October; and ninth last out in the Belmont Oaks on the inner turf at Saratoga on July 3. She returns to the Saratoga inner turf Saturday for the $225,000 Lake George presented by Surfside (G3) for 3-year-old fillies. There are 11 entered, including two with main track only stipulations, to go the mile-and-one-sixteenth.
A victory in the out-of-state test at this level would also earn Live Oak Stud as breeder a $5,000 Export Incentive from the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders’ and Owners’ Association.
Ultimate Love is trained by Michael Trombetta, who saw her win her first three starts before going to last year’s Breeders’ Cup.
She won a maiden special weight at Colonial Downs in July then took a first level, $62,500 optional claiming by nearly seven lengths at Laurel Park on September 5, both at a mile. Four week later at Laurel, she won the $125,000 Selima by four lengths going a mile-and-a-sixteenth before heading west for the Breeders’ Cup.
Ultimate Love returned to begin her 3-year-old campaign in May at Laurel, finishing second, missing winner Coach Mazzula by just a head, in the $125,000 Hilltop racing a mile.
By Curlin out of Tsunami of Love, by Bernardini, Ultimate Love has banked $205,000 in her six races.
Ultimate Love is 10-1 on the morning line and has drawn post five. She will be ridden for the first time by Ricardo Santana Jr.
Just to outside in post six will be Amerglen (Ire) with Irad Ortiz Jr. in the irons for trainer Brad Cox.
The chestnut daughter of Night of Thunder (Ire) looks for her first stakes win after taking a first condition allowance race going nine furlongs on the Churchill Downs grass on June 19. In one other start this year, she was second to Luster in a mile-and-a-sixteenth allowance race on the Keeneland turf on April 9.
An earner of $115,323 from two wins and a second in four starts, Amberglen is owned by Barbara Banke’s Stonestreet Stables and is the 5-2 program favorite.
Other fillies entered include Honfleur with Jose Ortiz taking the reins, Star Actress will have Junior Alvarado up, Candy Moonshine and jockey Jaime Rodriguez, Time to Dream with Edgard Zayas named to ride, Dylan Davis has the mount on Code, Deep Learning will be guided by Flavien Prat and Luis Saez will be in the saddle for Lion Lake (Ire). Answered Prayers and Hidden Rose are both entered under main track only conditions.
Return to the July 30 issue of Wire to Wire
