Loved breaks through with Falls City victory

Loved had just finished a creditable fourth last month in the Spinster Stakes at Keeneland, her first start in a Grade 1 race, when her trainer, Brendan Walsh, was heard to say, “nothing worse than just missing third in a Grade 1.” The Falls City Stakes on Thursday at Churchill was a Grade 2 and this time Loved did far better than merely obtain a stakes placing. Taking command past the quarter pole, Loved dominated, drawing away to win the $400,000 Falls City by 3 3/4 lengths, the best performance of her career.

Loved, a Godolphin homebred by Medaglia d’Oro out of Velvety, by Bernardini, made one start at age 2, missed more than a year’s racing, went on a three-race winning streak upon returning from her long absence, but, before Friday, had yet to win a graded stakes of any sort. Once a dedicated front-runner, Loved recently has adopted a stalking style, which she put to excellent use in the 1 1/8-mile Falls City.

Racing fifth onto the backstretch as Enclosure set splits of 23.60 and 47.41, Loved and Tyler Gaffalione commenced a wide bid into the far turn, Loved quickly claiming third while full of run. She put away Enclosure before turning for home and no one came close to her thereafter, Loved ($10.64) stopping the timer in 1:50.17 over a muddy main track.

Missing a Grade 1 placing might have stung, but Loved came out of the Spinster a better horse than she went into it, according to her trainer.

“I think everything just came together for her the last few weeks,” Walsh said. “We had her up there at Turfway training, and every time I went there she was better. And now she’s a graded-stakes winner.”

Godolphin swept the top two placings with Tarifa, the Brad Cox-trained 17-10 favorite, checking a well-beaten second. Lexa, a 25-1 chance, was three lengths farther back in third and a neck better than Neon Icon. Musical Mischief, the 19-10 second choice, went flat in upper stretch and finished sixth.

In July, Loved won her first stakes, a listed race at Horseshoe Indiana, then didn’t start again until September. Her comeback race at Churchill and the Spinster suggested Loved, a 5-year-old, might already have peaked. Instead, she hit a new high-water mark in the Falls City.

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