Angela's Love captures Marshua's River

HALLANDALE BEACH, Fla. - Angela's Love and Union Place added to the parade of longshots to have won races over the new Gulfstream Park turf course during the opening week of the 2005 meeting when registering upset victories in Sunday's $60,000 and Ft. Lauderdale handicaps.

Angela's Love($16.20) led throughout to post a 2.5 length decision over Delta Princess in the Marsha's River for fillies and mares while Union Place(21.80) rallied from just off the pace to capture the Ft. Lauderdale by a neck over the fast closing Freefourinternet. Both races were decided at one mile and one sixteenth.

The Marshua's River was marred when Hopelessly Devoted collapsed and died shortly after passing the finish line.

Angela's Love, making only her second career start on grass, controlled the Marshu's River from start to finish under jockey Kieren Fallon. The win gave Fallon his first stakes victory at Gulfstream. Delta Princess rallied from the rear of the pack to outfinish Snowdrops, the 2-1 favorite, by a half length for second money.

Angela's Love is a 5-year-old daughter of Not For Love. She is trained by Dale Romans for owners Vicki & William Poston.

"When I entered this race I thought it would be an easy spot and she'd be the favorite," said Romans. "But after looking over the field I saw it was tougher than I thought. I was pleased she ran as well as she did. I think she's got a great future on turf."

Union Place had to draw into the Ft. Lauderdale from off the also-eligible list. Making his first start since a fifth place finish in the Grade 2 Fourstardave Handicap on Aug. 28, the son of Out of Place was ridden to victory by Javier Castellano who also won the Mr. Prospector Handicap the previous day aboard Saratoga County.

"We had to give him 45 days off after he chipped the top of his sesamoid in the Fourstardave," said Randy Schulhofer who trains the homebred for William Sorokolit Sr.

"I really wondered if he was fit enough today but he showed me a lot of heart. Now we'll go to the Sunshine Millions Turf. That's been our plan all along."

The $500,000 Sunshine Millions Turf will be run Jan. 29 at Santa Anita.