Love and Pride beats west's best in Zenyatta

Midwest import Joyful Victory, who tracked in third early, improved her

position one slot in the stretch and edged Include Me Out for place honors by a

half-length. The latter, California's leading older filly this term, nosed out

sophomore Via Villaggio for the show. Farther back was 2-1 favorite Amani, Star

Billing, Switch, Love Theway Youare and Miss Mittagong.

"You just can't close on this track the way it is. Speed's holding, and they

didn't go very fast," said Ron Ellis, trainer of Include Me Out. "We'll do

better next time. It's just the way the track is now. Unless you're on the lead,

you can't win."

Love and Pride opened her career at Delaware Park in 2011, taking her maiden

debut by three parts of a length, and two races later recorded an 8 1/4-length

victory against allowance company. She made her first foray outside the confines

of Delaware when shipped to New York for Saratoga's Proud Spell  and

triumphed on that day by 6 3/4 lengths.

The dark bay lass wouldn't visit the winner's circle again until making her

four-year-old bow on January 28, capturing the Affectionately at Aqueduct by

seven lengths. In the interim she placed in the Grade 1 Gazelle and two

overnight stakes.

Following her season-opening win, Love and Pride finished second in the Grade

2 Top Flight Handicap to It's Tricky and just missed by a head in the Grade 3

Allaire duPont Distaff two races later. She finally recorded her first graded

score in the Grade 3 Obeah, appropriately enough back at Delaware Park. A fading

fourth behind Royal Delta in the Grade 2 Delaware Handicap after setting a hot

pace, Love and Pride upset both that rival and It's Tricky in the nine-furlong

Personal Ensign. This second straight top-level triumph elevates her career mark

to 16-7-2-4, $925,760.

Bred in Kentucky by Stud TNT, Love and Pride was a $380,000 Keeneland April

two-year-old in training RNA. She is out of the Grade 1-placed Storm Cat mare

Ile de France, making her a three-quarter sibling to classic-winning champion

and top sire Bernardini. That stallion and Ile de France are both out of

Broodmare of the Year and Grade 1 victress Cara Rafaela, who also produced the

dam of multiple Grade 3 scorer Thiskyhasnolimit. Cara Rafaela is herself a

half-sister to dual Grade 3 hero and sire Abaginone.

Love and Pride's fourth dam is the Grade 3-winning Northern Dancer mare

Northern Fable.

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