Love Reigns likely off to England, Lady Hollywood staying in Kentucky
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Stablemates Love Reigns and Lady Hollywood will likely make their next starts on opposite sides of the Atlantic after finishing one-two in Friday’s $250,000 Limestone Stakes at Keeneland.
Love Reigns, who rallied up the inside to best Lady Hollywood by half a length, is likely to join trainer Wesley Ward's contingent for the renowned Royal Ascot meeting in England, targeting a race against older males in the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes on June 20.
"We're hoping she can move forward, and she'll have to," Ward said. He reported that both fillies were in good order the morning after their efforts.
This would be the second trip overseas for Love Reigns, who was fourth in the Group 2 Queen Mary at the 2022 royal meet.
Meanwhile, Lady Hollywood, a Group 3 winner in France last year, is likely to look for her first U.S. stakes win in the Mamzelle Stakes on May 3 at Churchill Downs.
Lady Hollywood and Love Reigns both raced in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 4 at Keeneland, finishing fifth and eighth, respectively. Following that race, Lady Hollywood, previously trained by Alice Haynes, joined Love Reigns in Ward's barn after being sold at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale.
"She's kind of a little filly, but she's a fighter," Ward said.
Chez Pierre/Modern Games
Chez Pierre, who stole the scene with a stakes-record victory over Modern Games in Friday's Grade 1, $600,000 Maker's Mark Mile at Keeneland, is returning to trainer Arnaud Delacour's Maryland base, with his next start to be determined.
Chez Pierre rolled by 3 1/2 lengths over favored Modern Games, who was returning to the course on which he won last fall's Breeders' Cup Mile. Chez Pierre, who earned a career-high Beyer Speed Figure of 103, finished this mile in 1:33.46 on firm turf, eclipsing the previous stakes record of 1:33.54 set by Perfect Soul in the 2004 edition.
The next major turf race for older males in North America is the Grade 1, $1 million Turf Classic on the Kentucky Derby undercard at Churchill Downs. Delacour, who is based at the Fair Hill Training Center, indicated that race is an unlikely target for the Lael Stables colorbearer.
“Probably not," Delacour said. "I wouldn’t want to stretch him out and come back that quick."
Meanwhile, Modern Games is scheduled to ship from Kentucky back to trainer Charlie Appleby's yard in England on Tuesday, with a summer and fall campaign targeting the 2023 Breeders' Cup at Santa Anita to be determined.
“He cooled out well and is a happy horse this morning,” head traveling lad Chris Connett said Saturday. “He didn’t disgrace himself. The winner ran a huge race. Modern Games ran hard, and it is a good starting point for the rest of his 4-year-old campaign.”
Modern Games was previously unbeaten in North America, with first-place finishes in the 2021 Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf at Del Mar, the 2022 Woodbine Mile, and the 2022 Mile at Keeneland.
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