Kentucky Oaks winner Lovely Maria sold to Japanese interests

Lovely Maria, the winner of the 2015 Kentucky Oaks, has been sold to Japanese interests for an undisclosed amount.

The 4-year-old daughter of Majesticperfection was previously owned and campaigned by Brereton Jones, who also stands her sire at Airdrie Stud in Midway, Ky. Jones said Thursday that the buyers did not wish to be revealed. The horse was exported to Japan prior to the turn of the new year.

“She’s got a great home,” Jones said. “I hate to see her leave, but that’s part of the business.”

Lovely Maria has won four of 11 career starts for earnings of $1,003,000. She was trained by Larry Jones.

Lovely Maria debuted at age 2 with a 1 3/4-length victory at Delaware Park, then finished second in a Keeneland allowance and a Fair Grounds optional claimer before wrapping up her juvenile campaign with a start in the Trapeze Stakes at Remington Park.

She came back at age 3 with an optional-claiming win over Shook Up at Fair Grounds, then finished second to I’m a Chatterbox in the Grade 3 Rachel Alexandra Stakes. Lovely Maria then earned Grade 1 wins in the Ashland Stakes and Kentucky Oaks, giving regular rider Kerwin Clark his first Grade 1 victories.

Lovely Maria returned for a late-summer campaign but finished out of the money in all three starts.

“We’re going to miss Lovely Maria quite a bit,” Brereton Jones said. “She’s a very special filly.”

Bred in Kentucky by Olin Gentry and Thomas Gaines, Lovely Maria is out of the unraced Thunder Gulch mare Thundercup, who is the dam of four winners from five foals to race. She is from the family of Norwegian champions Missy Baldski and Butterfly Rose; Grade 2 winner Rare Blend; and Grade 3 winner Rare Gift.

Lovely Maria is from the first crop of Majesticperfection.