Following two consecutive stakes scores at Oaklawn Park to begin her 2023 campaign, Lovely Ride is winless in her last three starts. The string of losses has prompted trainer Robertino Diodoro to return the Candy Ride mare back to the turf in the May 29 $200,000 Ouija Board Distaff Stakes at Lone Star Park.
Campaigned in partnership by John Holleman, Flying P Stable, and Larry Nafe, Lovely Ride is no stranger to the grass, having captured the 2021 Pago Hop Stakes at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots. Though proficient on the lawn, she had been racing exclusively on the dirt since a seventh-place effort in the Tom Benson Memorial Stakes in March 2022.
With regular rider Christian Torres aboard, the 5-year-old, normally forwardly-placed, should be right up there to contend the early pace along with the local Lone Star-based Tipsy Gal, a frontrunning winner of a May 13 allowance optional claiming event in her most recent start, and Turfway Park shipper Takntothecleaners.
One that will be looking to catch Lovely Ride down the stretch is Juddmonte Farm's European import Juncture. Trained by Brad Cox, Juncture flashed serious potential in Ireland, winning two stakes over the synthetic surface and placing in four other stakes on the turf, including three graded stakes. In her North American debut April 21 at Keeneland, the 4-year-old daughter of Dark Angel missed the break and despite being carried six-wide turning for home, closed to within two lengths of the winner under the wire in sixth place.
Tyler Gaffalione will be aboard Juncture in Monday's one-mile affair.
Skelly Seeks Third Straight Stakes Win in Speightstown Sprint
The fleet-footed Skelly was the sprinter to be reckoned with the latter half of the Oaklawn meet, streaking to four straight six-furlong victories over the Hot Springs oval. In his two most recent outings, he dusted stakes company in gate-to-wire fashion in both the April 15 Count Fleet Sprint Handicap (G3) and May 6 Lake Hamilton Stakes.
Trained by Steve Asmussen, Skelly invades the Lone Star circuit as an overwhelming 8-5 morning line favorite in Monday's $100,000 six-furlong Speightstown Sprint Stakes. The Red Lane Thoroughbreds' colorbearer enlists the services of his steady pilot, Ricardo Santana Jr., and breaks from post 4 in a field of eight.
Although Skelly outgunned Collinsworth Thoroughbred Racing's Go West for frontrunning honors in their last meeting, a Feb. 25 allowance optional claimer in the slop at Oaklawn, Go West looks to be the most formidable challenge for the two-time stakes winner.
Go West has landed his last two races, both in allowance company, for trainer Bret Calhoun.
Lone Star Park, Monday, May 29, 2023, Race 11Entries: Ouija Board Distaff S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Tipsy Gal (KY) David Cabrera 117 Karl Broberg 5/1 2 2Glitterary (KY) Rene Diaz 117 Ronnie E. Cravens, III 30/1 3 3Juncture (GB) Tyler Gaffalione 119 Brad H. Cox 9/5 4 4Takntothecleaners (KY) Leandro D. Goncalves 121 Ethan W. West 10/1 5 5Island Hideaway (GB) Richard E. Eramia 119 Karl Broberg 12/1 6 6Colors of the Wind (KY) Jose L. Alvarez 119 W. Bret Calhoun 10/1 7 7Lovely Ride (KY) Cristian A. Torres 123 Robertino Diodoro 7/2 8 8Quinn Ella (BC) Rodolfo Guerra 119 Cesar Govea 30/1 9 9Jubella (KY) Luis A. Fuentes 119 Robertino Diodoro 20/1 10 10Skykat (KY) Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez 119 Ronnie E. Cravens, III 30/1 11 11Iko Iko (KY) Stewart Elliott 119 Thomas F. Proctor 9/2
Lone Star Park, Monday, May 29, 2023, Race 7Entries: Speightstown Sprint S.
PP Horse Jockey Wgt Trainer M/L 1 1Albizu (KY) Cristian A. Torres 124 Robertino Diodoro 10/1 2 2Sonneman (KY) David Cabrera 118 Karl Broberg 12/1 3 3Go West (KY) Reylu Gutierrez 124 W. Bret Calhoun 2/1 4 4Skelly (KY) Ricardo Santana, Jr. 124 Steven M. Asmussen 7/5 5 5Ernie Banker (NY) Rene Diaz 122 J. R. Caldwell 15/1 6 6Dean's List (KY) Leandro D. Goncalves 124 H. Ray Ashford, Jr. 15/1 7 7Jackman (KY) Rodolfo Guerra 124 Karl Broberg 20/1 8 8It Makes Sense (KY) Ernesto Valdez-Jiminez 122 Shawn H. Davis 6/1
