Everything Lovely seeks breakthrough in Lightning City

OLDSMAR, Fla. – Having placed in five stakes and banked $230,036, Everything Lovely has run too well during her 17-race career to still be looking for her first stakes win. If she replicates her most recent performance in Saturday’s $100,000 Lightning City Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs, she has a good chance of scoring that breakthrough victory.

But it won’t be easy. The five-furlong turf sprint for fillies and mares drew a full field of 12, plus two also-eligibles, and features Grade 3 stakes winner Southern Ring and 2015 Lightning City heroine Richies Sweetheart.

Everything Lovely’s best stakes efforts include a one-length loss to the top turf sprinter Lady Shipman in the $200,000 Turf Amazon at Parx Racing in September. In her first start on the Tampa turf on Nov. 26, Everything Lovely couldn’t have been more impressive, leading throughout the five-furlong turf sprint and winning the optional $100,000 claimer by 4 1/4 lengths.

“It’s eluded me a couple of times now, and it would really be a big deal for me to get a stakes win under her belt,” trainer and co-owner Kathleen DeMasi said of Everything Lovely. “She certainly deserves it. She’s run against some nice fillies. There are a couple of really nice fillies in there. You hope that she can run back to the same race she just had. She’s the kind of filly that doesn’t have to have the lead, but she certainly has enough tactical speed, and she loves the course.”

Lightning City, Race 8

KEY CONTENDERS

Everything Lovely, by Pollard’s Vision
Last 3 Beyers: 90-78-95

◗ Since the start of 2015, DeMasi and jockey Jose C. Ferrer have teamed up to win 12 of 37 starts for an incredible ROI of $5.29.

Southern Ring, by Speightstown
Last 3 Beyers: 85-90-79

◗ A two-time stakes winner on Woodbine’s synthetic surface, she looms as the horse to beat as the only graded stakes winner in this field, having taken the Grade 3 Ontario Fashion in October. She’s 2 for 3 on turf and has the ability to go to the front or stalk the pace, which should come in handy in a field loaded with early zip.

◗ Last Saturday, she breezed four furlongs in 47.80 seconds, the fastest of 60 works at the distance that day. She’s shortening up for this race, as all of her starts have come at six furlongs or longer.

“My biggest concern is that the race is five furlongs, and I’d certainly prefer it to be six or 6 1/2,” said Malcolm Pierce, a big addition to the Tampa training colony this winter after enjoying great success at Woodbine. “I don’t know how much of a front-runner she’s going to be going five furlongs. That’s my biggest question mark, but the filly is doing really, really well.”

Richies Sweetheart, by Bring the Heat
Last 3 Beyers: 81-56-47

◗ This mare has lost three straight but might move forward in her second start off a layoff for trainer and co-owner Larry Rivelli. The confirmed front-runner was impressive in winning this race last year and scored a 97 Beyer Speed Figure in taking the $75,000 Honor the Hero at Canterbury Park in May for her fourth stakes win.