Honeymoon matches recent stakes winners Cairo Memories and Island of Love

Cairo Memories and Island of Love have won the last two graded stakes for 3-year-old fillies on turf at Santa Anita, the prelude to their first meeting in Sunday’s Grade 3 Honeymoon Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf.

The result will dictate how ambitiously campaigned the fillies are this summer.

Cairo Memories, trained by Bob Hess Jr. for Schroeder Farms and David Bernsen, will start favored in the $100,000 Honeymoon on the strength of a career-best performance in the Grade 3 Providencia Stakes at 1 1/8 miles on turf on April 9. Cairo Memories led throughout and pulled clear to win her first graded stakes by 4 1/2 lengths, beating Sterling Crest and Gold Dragon Queen, who are part of the Honeymoon field.

A win in the Honeymoon could put Cairo Memories in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks at 1 1/4 miles on turf at Belmont Park on July 9.

“It’s a consideration,” Hess said.

The Honeymoon will be a suitable prep. Cairo Memories led throughout the Providencia for her second stakes win, but is not reliant on that style. Mike Smith rode Cairo Memories in the Providencia and retains the mount.

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“I think he’ll have to play the break,” Hess said of Smith.

Hess describes Cairo Memories as “a little bit animated and strong willed.”

Cairo Memories has won 3 of 6 starts, with all the wins on turf. She was ninth by 2 3/4 lengths in a hectic running of the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar last November and later second in the Grade 1 Starlet Stakes on dirt at Los Alamitos in December.

Island of Love, imported from Ireland last fall, was beaten in her first two starts in this country in turf stakes in January and March, but rebounded with an attractive victory in the Grade 3 Senorita Stakes at a mile on turf on May 7. Island of Love closed from third in a field of six to win by 2 1/4 lengths.

“She was trip compromised in her first two races,” trainer Phil D’Amato said. “We didn’t get to see what she could do.”

The Honeymoon will be Island of Love’s first start at as long as 1 1/8 miles, which is not a major concern for D’Amato considering how she finished the Senorita.

“She kicked away from the field going a mile the other day and she’s very light on her feet,” he said. “I’m optimistic that she can handle the distance.”

D’Amato said the Grade 1 Del Mar Oaks at 1 1/8 miles on turf on Aug. 20 is a summertime goal, pending the Honeymoon result.

“I think this will tell us where we’re at,” D’Amato said.

Sterling Crest was second to Cairo Memories in the Providencia before her second in the Senorita. Sterling Crest has since been officially transferred from trainer Richard Baltas to George Papaprodromou after Baltas was informed by Santa Anita management earlier this month that he could no longer start horses after an alleged medication violation.