Generous Lover takes Vivacious in stakes and statebred debut

Generous Lover had never raced in Ohio, the state of her birth, prior to Friday. But her good efforts against open company outside of the Buckeye State made her the favorite for her statebred and stakes debut, the $75,000 Vivacious Stakes for Ohio-bred fillies and mares on the Belterra Park turf, and she rewarded her backers with a 4 3/4-length victory.

Generous Lover ($3.20), who broke her maiden on the Fair Grounds turf earlier this year, was claimed for $50,000 by trainer Joe Sharp on behalf of Carl Moore Management out of a win on the Churchill Downs dirt in May, in her sixth career start. She has won both her subsequent outings for these connections, with a starter allowance win on the Churchill dirt in June followed by the Vivacious.

Generous Lover and jockey Luis Rivera raced in second in the early going, with pacesetter Distinctive Flower – winner of the 2020 Vivacious – never far from their sights through an honest opening half-mile of 47.47 seconds on the firm turf. As the leader faded into the stretch, Generous Lover took over, pursued by I Recall, the winner of the 2022 and 2023 editions of this race. But there was never a serious threat to the new leader, as she continued to pour it on to the wire, finishing the 1 1/16 miles in 1:41.62.

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I Recall was a clear second-best, by 1 1/4 lengths over Buckeye Belle in third.

The Vivacious was one of four stakes on Friday at Belterra. Earlier on the card, Kelleher ($7.40) got a perfect trip under Yan Aviles to win the $75,000 Horizon Stakes for Ohio-accredited 3-year-olds on the turf. The gelding sat in third and then overhauling favored overseer Villain and pressing May Mayhem to win by three lengths. Behind him, May Mayhem did edge Villain by a half-length for second.

This was the stakes debut for Kelleher, trained by Jennifer Tooley. He has now won four times from eight career starts, and has only missed the board once.

Fortissimo ($2.40) dominated the $75,000 Hoover Stakes for Ohio-bred 2-year-olds, drawing off by 5 3/4 lengths as the favorite. The colt, who remained unbeaten on two starts, was ridden by Laureano Sosa for the partnership of trainer Tim Hamm and WinStar Farm.

Favored Silver Kiss was even more dominant in the sister race, drawing off by 10 lengths in the $75,000 Jim Morgan Memorial Tah Dah for statebred juvenile fillies. Chelsey Keiser was in the irons for trainer David Wolochuk.

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