Lovely Loyree by a neck in Indiana General Assembly Distaff

Lovely Loyree got a perfect pressing trip under Fernando De La Cruz and won the $100,000 Indiana General Assembly Distaff for the second time in three years.

Lovely Loyree didn’t run in the race last year but won it in August 2016, also with De La Cruz aboard. The mare, an Illinois-bred by Cactus Ridge out of the Lil E. Tee mare, Lil Cora Tee, is a 7-year-old, but this was only her 22nd career start. Owing to turf rain-offs, winter breaks, races that failed to fill, and other various hiccups, Lovely Loyree had raced only five times since her 2016 Indiana General Assembly Distaff win.

Her trip Saturday evening went as well as the one last month in the Lady Canterbury Stakes went poorly. There, Lovely Loyree didn’t display her customary positional speed, was caught behind horses on the far turn, and shuffled back to sixth just as the pace quickened.

Saturday, she broke alertly from the outside gate in a field of eight as Hachi set slow splits of 23.98 and 49.16 seconds leaving the closers in an untenable position. It was down to the two leaders at furlong grounds, and Lovely Loyree on the outside just pushed past Hachi to win by a neck. Kyllachy Queen got started too late but finished fastest for third. Lovely Loyree ran 1 1/16 miles on a firm course in 1:42.54 and paid $14 to win. Lovely Bernadette, the 13-10 favorite, never made much of a run and checked in sixth. Dutch Parrot was scratched in favor of a dirt race Saturday night.

Michele Boyce trains Lovely Loyree for a partnership and has done fine work keeping the mare happy, healthy, and willing midway through her 7-year-old season. And if races are going to continue to unfold this favorably, perhaps the mare should stick around for a few more.