Luscious Lonna repeats in Golden Poppy

Using the same front-running tactics as she did last year, Luscious Lonna scored an easy victory in the $59,450 Golden Poppy Stakes at Golden Gate Fields on Saturday.

Luscious Lonna ($4), who paid $26.80 in the 2013 race, was favored this year and won convincingly, although the 1 3/4-length margin of victory wasn’t as big as last year’s 2 1/2-length win.

Luscious Lonna and second choice Spring Bloom bumped shortly after the start, but Luscious Lonna bounced to the lead with Spring Bloom sitting second all the way around the track.

Luscious Lonna rated nicely, running evenly the entire way while maintaining a one-length lead most of the way. She began to edge away as the field turned for home and was 2 1/2 lengths in front.

Jockey Juan Hernandez coasted home to win in 1:43.13 as Koby Jo, the longest shot on the board at 16-1, got up for second. Spring Bloom had little left in the lane and settled for third.

The victory, worth $39,450, was Luscious Lonna’s first since she won last year’s Golden Poppy and gave her career earnings of $222,025 for trainer Nick Sloan and partners Jon Harris and Bonnie Marshall. The trio claimed Luscious Lonna for $62,500.

The 6-year-old Luscious Lonna, a daughter of Benchmark, now has 8 wins in 17 starts.