Maid of Heaven kicks off Kentucky Turf Cup undercard

Maid of Heaven kicks off Kentucky Turf Cup undercard

Maid of Heaven kicked off the first of three stakes races on the undercard of

the Grade 3 Kentucky Turf Cup with a win in the $75,000

Kentucky Downs Ladies Marathon Stakes on Saturday at Kentucky Downs.

Tracking the pace off the inside, the Kellyn Gorder trainee shifted out and

worked her way between horses before being bumped just before the eighth-pole.

Ridden by Leandro Goncalves, she was able to straighten out and was all out to

win by a head. The Dreamfields Farm four-year-old filly took the 1 5/16-mile

race on firm turf in 2:14.

Making her third stakes start, this marks the first stakes victory of the

Empire Maker filly's career. Previously third in the Grade 3 Pucker Up Stakes,

her record now stands at 15-4-2-3, $158,185.

Maid of Heaven is out of the Lord Avie mare Heavenliness, making her a

half-sister to Grade 2-place stakes winner Amandatude.

The second stakes race on the undercard was the first of two juvenile races.

The first race was for the fillies, which attracted a field of eight. With half

of the entries all coming off maiden wins, it was Oscar Party who joined the

party of maiden winners in the $74,667

Kentucky Downs Juvenile Fillies Stakes.

Trained by Wayne Catalano, the two-year-old bay filly went off as the 8-5

favorite despite not breaking her maiden yet. She was able to reel in the leader

through the turn and along the inside down the stretch to win by three lengths.

The Dixie Union miss, who had Kent Desormeaux aboard, broke her maiden in her

first stakes race. The James Covello-owned filly ran the seven furlongs in 1:25

3/5 to improve her career line to 3-1-0-1, $54,370.

Her dam is the Grade 3-placed stakes-winning Old Trieste mare Dream Lady,

which makes her a half-sister to Grade 3 Arlington-Washington Futurity winner

Major Gain.

Closing out the undercard on Saturday was Ruler of Love, who took the $60,000

Kentucky Downs Juvenile Stakes.

Matthew N. Rebro Jr. et al's two-year-old colt encountered no problems and

was able to open up early, winning wire-to-wire. The colt by Peace Rules

impressed with a three-length victory under jockey Calvin Borel. Entering off

his maiden win over this track last month, the Joan Scott trainee was able to

run the seven furlongs in 1:24 1/5.

Ruler of Love's earnings doubled to $59,710 with this first stakes victory

and he now shows a 4-2-0-1 career mark. He is out of the Wheaton mare Lovmeaton.

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