Lifelovenlaughter holds off Winfinity in All Brandy
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Lifelovenlaughter, a 5-year-old mare trained by Mike Trombetta, won her second straight state-restricted stakes with the $125,000 All Brandy at Colonial Downs on Saturday. She is now unbeaten in three starts this year.
“She had a great trip,” Trombetta said. “I was a little concerned coming down the lane. I thought [Winfinity] was coming pretty quickly, but the wire got there first.”
Front-running longshot Cut From Class was stubborn on the front end and surface-switching contender Winfinity came flying at the end, but Lifelovenlaughter never ran an uncomfortable step under Jorge Ruiz. Her trip was similarly perfect to the one she made to win the $100,000 Jameela at Laurel Park last time out.
Stalking in second in the early going, Trombetta’s mare could not have been better placed behind soft opening fractions. Cut From Class, the 18-1 pacesetter, completed the opening quarter-mile in 24.20 and stayed clear by two lengths through a half-mile in 49.68.
By the time Cut From Class entered the far turn, Lifelovenlaughter was the only one within striking range. Ruiz urged the 1-2 favorite forward to draw alongside the early leader, who dug in but eventually yielded in the stretch.
After making a prolonged bid to pass Cut From Class, Lifelovenlaughter tried to kick clear, but Winfinity made a race of it in the final strides for trainer John Ortiz. The 3-year-old filly was making her first start against older fillies and mares in the second turf start of her career, but she didn’t miss a step surging late in the All Brandy.
Winfinity’s late kick was enough to take the $150,000 Miss Disco on dirt last time out, but the improving filly came up just short on Saturday. Helped along by a perfect trip under Ruiz, Lifelovenlaughter prevailed by a neck, completing the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:42.74 and paying $3 to win.
Cut From Class was far from disgraced for trainer Caitlin Keil after taking firm command out of the gate. The 6-year-old mare held on for third, finishing 1 3/4 lengths behind the top two.
Find Stakes
Mission North, a 4-year-old gelding trained by Jack Fisher, turned away even-money favorite Gigante to win the $125,000 Find Stakes at Colonial Downs on Saturday. His only prior stakes start was over hurdles in May, but the improving runner has been indiscriminately solid in his 4-year-old campaign.
Following a 27-length victory in the $50,000 Speedy Smithwick Memorial, a 2 1/2-mile steeplechase at Great Meadow in May, Fisher switched the gelding back to flat racing later that month, when he won a restricted allowance at Laurel Park
In July, Mission North rallied to finish third in a $74,000 allowance at Colonial in July. That defeat against Air Recruit, next-out winner of the $100,000 Oceanport, snapped his five-race winning streak going back to October last year, but it also sharpened him for his stakes attempt against state-restricted rivals on Saturday.
Gigante, the heavily favored 5-year-old trained by Steve Asmussen, last ran in the $250,000 Texas Turf Classic and had run in five straight graded stakes before that. He enjoyed a massive class edge in the Find’s field of five, but bettors still wagered heavily on Mission North to make him a short second choice. He paid $4.80 to win.
Hunter Joe, a 7-year-old gelding trained by Ham Smith, took the early lead in the Find, completing the opening quarter-mile in 23.61 and the half-mile in 47.51. After an awkward step on the backstretch, he was pulled up by Daniel Centeno and transported off the track in an equine ambulance.
When the early leader stopped as the field approached the far turn, Mission North and jockey Forest Boyce inherited the lead and kicked clear to lead by 1 1/2 lengths in the stretch.
Gigante, who stalked the pace behind Mission North and altered slightly when Hunter Joe made his way through the field, made a mild bid under Paco Lopez around the far turn and into the stretch. He never seriously contended for the lead, however, as Mission North finished strong to lock down the 3/4-length victory. He completed the 1 1/16-mile race in 1:40.67.
Fulmineo, a 4-year-old colt trained by Arnaud Delacour, finished 1 1/4 lengths behind Gigante in third. Like Gigante, he was entering with several recent starts in open-company stakes, but Mission North proved superior to the two behind him.
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