Lovely Ride takes early lead, keeps it in Pippin
HOT SPRINGS, Ark. - Lovely Ride is proving to be the speed of the filly and mare route division at Oaklawn Park.
She won her second straight stakes of the meet Saturday in the $150,000 Pippin, wiring the field for a three-quarter-length victory over Ice Orchid. It was another length back in third to Le Da Vida.
Lovely Ride ($8.60) used the same tactics to win last month’s Mistletoe. In the Pippin, she quickly moved to the lead after the start and set fractions of 23.32 seconds for the opening quarter, 47.40 for the half-mile and 1:12.11 for six furlongs as Ice Orchid chased the leader. Lovely Ride proceeded to cover the 1 1/16 miles on a fast track in 1:44.04.
Cristian Torres was aboard the winner for trainer Robertino Diodoro. Earlier on the card, Torres won the second race with the Diodoro-trained Arthurian to give Diodoro a milestone of 3,000 wins in Thoroughbred races in the United States and Canada.
Lovely Ride had last raced in Canada coming into the Oaklawn meet, finishing an uncharacteristic 12th in the Grade 3 Trillium in August at Woodbine. Following the start, she was given time off.
“She was meant to be a good mare,” Diodoro said. “She went a little bit sideways.”
Diodoro said Lovely Ride responded to the time, and worked strongly leading up to both the Mistletoe and Pippin. She was winning the fourth stakes race of her career Saturday, and the first-place check of $88,725 pushed her career earnings past $500,000.
Lovely Ride has now won 7 of 15 starts for earnings of $508, 573.
She was a private purchase last winter by John Holleman, Flying P Stable, and Larry Nafe. Lovely Ride is by Candy Ride and from the Grade 2-winning mare Lovely Lil.
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