Love Reigns nips stablemate Lady Hollywood to win Limestone Stakes

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Love Reigns surged through along the inside in the final strides to best stablemate Lady Hollywood by half a length in the $250,000 Limestone Stakes for 3-year-old fillies sprinting on the Keeneland turf on Friday.

Favored Love Reigns was behind horses in eighth with a little more than six lengths to make up on leader Accomplished Girl with five-sixteenths remaining in the 5 1/2-furlong race. Meanwhile, Lady Hollywood and John Velazquez were getting first run at Accomplished Girl. Lady Hollywood appeared to be kicking away, but Joel Rosario found a seam along the inside for Love Reigns, who came on full of run.

Wesley Ward trains Love Reigns and Lady Hollywood.

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"I was kind of watching Joel turning for home, and it looked like Johnny had it won," said Ward. "And then she just made that last, late burst. I was very impressed with them. I would say that these are the toughest 3-year-old fillies in our country sprinting on turf.

"Our plan was to come from behind, and Joel's always been my guy for that. Over the years and years, he's just pulled out some amazing rides for me coming from behind like that."

The final time for the 5 1/2 furlongs on turf rated firm was 1:02.45. Owned by Stonestreet Stables, Love Reigns paid $7.38 to win.

Lady Hollywood held second by half a length over My Sweet Affair, who was on the outside of the top two while rallying from ninth. They were followed, in order, by Sassy Nature, Just a Care, Accomplished Girl, Stone Silent, Camp Akeela, Twirled, and Alluring Angel.

Ward said Love Reigns is likely to join his contingent for the Royal Ascot meet in June in England, targeting the Group 1 King's Stand Stakes against older horses.

Love Reigns, winner of the Bolton Landing Stakes last summer at Saratoga, and Lady Hollywood both had made their most recent start in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint on Nov. 4 at Keeneland. Love Reigns finished eighth and Lady Hollywood was fifth.

French Group 3 winner Lady Hollywood, previously trained by Alice Haynes, was subsequently sold at the Fasig-Tipton Kentucky fall selected mixed sale, and landed in Ward's barn to campaign in the U.S. for AMO Racing USA.

"She's kind of a little filly, but she's a fighter," Ward said. "I was really happy with her as well. She really ran a beautiful race."

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