BY BROCK SHERIDAN
Caught just before the finish of the Grade 2 Lake Placid in her last race by winner Naomis (Fr) on August 29, Florida-bred Ultimate Love returns Thursday for the Grade 3 Winter Memories at Belmont Park. A large field of 11 sophomore fillies will go a mile on the turf for a purse of $200,000.
A victory in a Grade 2 outside Florida would also garner a $5,000 Export Incentive for breeder Charlotte Weber and her Live Oak Stud, who also owns the daughter of Curlin in the name of her Live Oak Plantation located in Ocala, Florida.
“She found herself in a great spot and she did everything really well, except she wasn’t quite able to hold off the horse that came and got her,” Trombetta said of Ultimate Love’s half-length second in the Lake Placid. “She’s been training well since. I didn’t put a ton of pressure on her because she’s been running hard this summer. She’s doing well and we are looking forward to getting to see her run again.”
Since starting the year at Laurel Park with a second to Coach Mazzula in the $125,000 Old Hilltop (Listed) going a mile on the turf on May 15, Ultimate Love has raced three times over the grass at Saratoga.
In two starts before the Lake Placid, she was ninth after an eventful run in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks going nine furlongs on July 4 but rebounded to run a good fifth, less than two lengths off winner Amberglen in the Grade 3 Lake George at a mile-and-a-sixteenth on August 1.
“We are hoping she continues to move in the right direction,” Trombetta said. “Other than the [Belmont Oaks] when she had a really rough trip, she’s done everything pretty well.”
Ultimate Love was a four-length winner of the $125,000 Selima in her third start in September of last year then was sent to Del Mar for the one-mile John Deere Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1) on October 31. After a rough start and additional traffic at the five-sixteenth pole, Ultimate Love still managed a very respectable fifth, just three lengths behind winner Balantina (Ire).
Despite her many eventful races, Ultimate Love has produced a reliable three wins and two seconds in eight starts with earnings of $294,000. She is out of Tsunami of Love, by Bernardini and will be ridden by Javier Castellano for the first time Thursday.
They have post 10 and are listed at the co-third choice at 6-1 on the morning line.
Sister Troienne is the 7-2 morning line favorite as she races for the first time since fifth in the Grade 2 Appalachian presented by JRA at Keeneland on April 4.
A winner of five straight, including three consecutive stakes at Gulfstream Park over the winter, Sister Troienne is trained by Brian Lynch for owner and breeder Woodslane Farm.
She won the $100,000 Wait A While on synthetic in November then returned to grass for a length-and-three-quarters victory in the $155,000 Ginger Brew (Listed) on January 3 and the $150,000 Sweetest Chant (Listed) on January 31. She was second to Lion Lake in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride going a mile on the turf at Gulfstream on February 28 before going to Keeneland for the Appalachian.
Sister Troienne is by Munnings and has won five of eight career starts with a second and a third, earning $436,871.
Junior Alvarado takes the riding assignment from post eight.
Others entered are Alone Time with Kendrick Carmouche in the irons, Antonio Fresu takes the reins on Flowerhead (Ire), Crossover Capital will be ridden by Manny Franco, Jose Ortiz teams with Hand Over Heart, Peppermint Twist will have jockey Jose Lezcano, Lovely Grey has Dylan Davis with the assignment, Shelzawa (Fr) will have Flavien Prat up, Kokomotion will be guided by Edgard Zayas and Ricardo Santana Jr. will be in the saddle for Queen of Hawaii (Ire).
Return to the September 29 issue of Wire to Wire
