Matchmaker

Anne Poulson's LOVE MATCH (Partner's Hero) took the lead out of the gate in

Sunday's $150,000

Matchmaker S. (G3) at Monmouth Park and was never headed en

route to a one-length win under Javier Castellano. Sent off the second-longest

shot on the board at 27-1, the bay mare rewarded her faithful backers with

payouts of $56.60, $19.60 and $9.80 while keying the $522.80 exacta and $3,662

trifecta (2-5-6).

Despite Castellano dropping the left rein at the start, Love Match set splits

of :24, :50 1/5, 1:14 3/5 and 1:38 2/5 before completing 1 1/8 miles on the firm

turf in 1:50 1/5. The John Kimmel trainee was tracked throughout by Cat Alert

(Tabasco Cat), who finished in that same spot to pay $9.20 and $7 at 9-1.

Emerald Earrings (Helmsman) also crossed under the line in the same spot in

which she ran the race, third, and was worth $8.60 at 6-1 for coming in a

half-length farther back. Spotlight (GB) (Dr Fong), the even-money favorite,

just missed third by a nose and was followed by Smart N Classy (Smart Strike),

Classic Stamp (Regal Classic), Topiary (Arch), Humoristic (Sefapiano), Briviesca

(GB) (Peintre Celebre) and Noble Stella (Ger) (Monsun).

Love Match earned her first stakes victory with this win and now owns a

14-5-0-4 career record that also includes a third in the Maryland Million Ladies

S. from last year. The five-year-old mare nearly doubled her earnings to $185,690

with the winner's share and is out of the winning For Love Alone (L'Enjoleur).

She was bred in Maryland by her owner and Hare Forest Farm.