Covert Love puts streak on line in Yorkshire Oaks

The four-race win streak Covert Love has compiled this year began in a modest maiden race on the all-weather surface at Chemlsford City, near London, in early May. The winning streak may be extended when Covert Love starts as the favorite in Thursday’s Group 1 Yorkshire Oaks at York Racecourse in northern England.

Trained by Hugo Palmer, Covert Love is part of a field of 11 in the $522,600 Yorkshire Oaks, which is open to fillies and mares and run at 1 1/2 miles on turf. Covert Love won the Group 1 Irish Oaks on July 18 in her group stakes debut. The winning streak includes a minor handicap at about 1 5/16 miles on turf at York in May.

Pat Smullen has the mount on Covert Love, a filly by Azamour who races for the Fomo syndicate.

The field of 11 in the Yorkshire Oaks includes nine 3-year-old fillies, including Jack Naylor and Curvy, who were second and third in the Irish Oaks. Curvy won the Group 2 Ribblesdale Stakes at Royal Ascot in June.

Lady of Dubai, third in the English Oaks, is another contender, but must rebound from a sixth in the Group 1 Nassau Stakes at Goodwood earlier this month.

*Jazzi Top, overmatched in Group 1 races in England in June and August, won her first group stakes in Tuesday’s $144,300 Prix de la Nonette for 3-year-old fillies at Deauville, France.

Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Jazzi Top (7-2) closed from the middle of the field of six 3-year-old fillies to take the lead in the final furlong, beating 13-1 Holy Moly by 1 1/4 lengths. Saint Amarante finished third, 2 3/4 lengths behind Jazzi Top.

Katinya, the 8-5 favorite, was within stalking distance with a quarter-mile remaining, but faded in the final furlong.

The Group 2 Prix de la Nonette was run at 1 1/4 miles on turf and was the second stakes win of the year for Jazzi Top. Trained by John Gosden, Jazzi Top won the Pretty Polly Stakes at Newmarket in May, and was later fifth in the English Oaks at Epsom and Nassau Stakes at Goodwood. By Danehill Dancer, Jazzi Top is owned by Helena Springfield, Ltd.