Coach Mazzula fends off Ultimate Love to take Hilltop Stakes

LAUREL, Md. – In a showdown of Maryland-based runners, Coach Mazzula, well-rationed on the lead by Jevian Toledo, held off favored Ultimate Love by a head to win the $125,000 Hilltop Stakes for 3-year-old fillies on the turf in what her rider called a "pretty brave" performance on Friday at Laurel Park.

Coach Mazzula ($11.20), coming off an April allowance win against older foes at Laurel, and 2025 Selima Stakes winner Ultimate Love, making her first start since finishing fifth in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf on Oct. 31, were the only fillies among the six starters with more than a maiden victory to their respective credits. The field was dominated by locally-based runners. Coach Mazzula is based at Laurel with Brittany Russell - who picked up her second stakes win of the day after Peach Tie won the Grade 3 Miss Preakness - while Ultimate Love is stabled at the Fair Hill Training Center for Michael Trombetta.

Russell described Coach Mazzula, an Authentic filly owned by Madaket Stables, as "a quirky thing" earlier this week, and said she likes to run along freely, making rationing her speed a key factor.

"She's a little tricky horse to ride in the afternoon," Russell said.

Toledo and Coach Mazzula seem to have it figured out. The jockey has piloted her to all three of her wins - a maiden special weight last November at Laurel, and now, back-to-back wins this year.

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On Friday, Coach Mazzula broke alertly, and Toledo had his hands down and his feet in front of him, allowing the filly to make the pace without fighting her, but asking her to stay in hand and not run off. Coach Mazzula ticked off opening fractions of 24.15 seconds for the quarter and 48.89 seconds for the half while a length in front.

"She always breaks forward," Toledo said. "She broke good. She put me in a good spot. She relaxed beautiful today. I tried to save more for the end. She's been running great, but this is tougher competition."

Heading into the far turn, another Fair Hill-based filly, Siouxse, who had been stalking in second began to move up on the leader. Coach Mazzula responded with a brief burst to get some separation from that foe.

"When she felt the horses coming, she put herself in the bridle, and I said 'Okay,'" Toledo said. "I kind of let her pick it up a little bit. I didn't want them to cover me up."

Coach Mazzula came into the stretch with a two-length lead, but Ultimate Love, who had been stalking in a nice pocket inside in third, tipped out for the drive under John Velazquez. Ultimate Love steadily ground into the leader's margin, but Coach Mazzula did not fade to the wire and kept her head in front as they flashed by the post.

The time for the mile was 1:35.52 on turf rated firm, and which should be in very good shape through the weekend. Heavy rain fell overnight Wednesday, but since then it has been clear in Laurel, with temperatures in the low 70s on Friday and expected in the 80s on Saturday.

After the top two, it was 1 1/4 lengths back to Brat Pack, who nosed out stablemate Siouxse for third. Use Me, the only Kentucky-based runner in the field, was fifth, with Unmiztaken rounding out the order of finish. I Love Giraffes was scratched after being cross-entered in an allowance race on Saturday at Laurel.

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