One-Eyed Hard Not to Love Romps in Santa Monica

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One-Eyed Hard Not to Love Romps in Santa Monica
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Photo: Benoit Photo
Hard Not to Love, her missing left eye covered by blinkers, wins the Santa Monica Stakes at Santa Anita Park

For a filly missing an eye, the result of an accident as a yearling, Hard Not to Love isn't missing any opportunities. The popular 4-year-old scored her second consecutive graded stakes victory Feb. 15 at Santa Anita Park, rolling by 3 1/2 lengths following a win in the La Brea Stakes (G1) in her 3-year-old finale.

Facing stakes-level older mares for the first time Saturday in the $200,000 Santa Monica Stakes (G2) proved no issue. Recovering quickly after breaking a step tardily, Hard Not to Love put herself in the race under Hall of Fame jockey Mike Smith, sitting last of five early but only 1 3/4 lengths off the pace. Longshot Lady Ninja set an easy opening quarter-mile in :23.04 in a tight pack as the field raced down the backstretch.


The tempo quickened to :45.81 for the half-mile, with Lady Ninja coming under pressure from a stalking Mother Mother, and Hard Not to Love moving up to third under confident handling from Smith. Once he cut her loose in the stretch, Hard Not to Love did the rest, opening 1 1/2 lengths on runner-up Mother Mother with a furlong remaining, requiring Smith to only hand-ride her to the wire.

"She never breaks, but she reacts very quickly. Mike said he was waiting for her to relax, and then he put her into the race," trainer John Shirreffs said. "I love Mike. We go back a long way, and we think a lot alike. He’s such a horseman; for him, it’s all about the horse. That’s above winning or losing—it’s always about the horse."

Zusha, outpaced on the turn, turned in a steady bid down the stretch to grab third, 1 1/2 lengths behind Mother Mother. Lady Ninja and Road Rager completed the short field.

Favored Hard Not to Love, who paid $3.20 to win, raced seven furlongs on a fast track in 1:22.19, capped by a final eighth in :12.12, a closing split that bodes well for her handling longer distances. She has never raced farther than seven furlongs, though a two-turn test might be ahead in the $400,000 Beholder Mile Stakes (G1) at Santa Anita March 14.

A 4-year-old Hard Spun  filly, Hard Not to Love has won five of six races for Shirreffs, who has steadily worked to ease the filly's anxiety caused by her restricted eyesight. She races for owners Mercedes Stables, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, David and Dorothy Ingordo, and Steve Mooney.

"I gotta take my hat off to John Shirreffs and everybody—the groom and the gallop girl that gets on her," Smith said. "She is a lot of work, and they have done a lot to get her here, and it is paying off."

The Canadian-foaled filly was bought as a yearling by bloodstock agent David Ingordo at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale for $400,000 from the consignment of her breeder, Anderson Farms. Out of the Vindication mare Loving Vindication, she is related to two other stakes winners, both by Medaglia d'Oro : Solemn Tribute and 2018 Canadian Horse of the Year Wonder Gadot.

Video: Santa Monica S. (G2)