Heavenly Love Seeks Return to Form in Lake George

Three starts into her career, Heavenly Love looked like a filly who could pick any number of options before her and come away with success.

In her second outing, she rallied from well back to break her maiden over the Kentucky Downs turf, winning by five lengths in a six-furlong sprint. Switched to dirt for her next outing, the 2017 Darley Alcibiades Stakes (G1) at Keeeneland, the daughter of Malibu Moon  seemed to taunt rivals with her versatility as she sat a stalking trip in second before drawing clear by 5 1/2 lengths.

Since that celebratory day in Lexington, however, Debby Oxley's homebred had her connections throwing their hands up in frustration rather than jubilation as she lost her next five starts. But following four straight off-the-board efforts, trainer Mark Casse saw some evidence in his charge's most recent start to suggest the Heavenly Love of old may still be knocking around.

When Heavenly Love recovered from a troubled break and rallied to get third in the June 16 Regret Stakes (G3T) at Churchill Downs, it marked her best finish since that Alcibiades effort last fall. The bay filly will try to take the next step of returning to the winner's circle when she starts against seven others in the $150,000 Lake George Stakes (G3T) July 20 on opening day of the Saratoga Race Course meeting.

The door of opportunity was unexpectedly flung open for the eight sophomore fillies in the Lake George when grade 1 winner Rushing Fall was not entered in the 1 1/16-miles test. The absence of the reigning Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf (G1T) winner combined with the life Heavenly Love showed in her most recent start could yield the circumstances necessary for the race's lone top-level winner to bring her back class into the present.

"She actually ran very well last time," Casse said of Heavenly Love. "She got bothered at the start and got shuffled back to last and made a big run and really ran well. I was really pleased with that last performance."

After starting the year with defeats in the Silverbulletday Stakes and Rachel Alexandra Stakes (G2) at Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, Heavenly Love was switched back to the turf and finished sixth to Rushing Fall in the Appalachian Stakes presented by Japan Racing Association (G2T), beaten just four lengths by the winner.

Finishing third that day was fellow Lake George entrant Goodthingstaketime, a daughter of Canford Cliffs who has not been worse than third in four starts since coming to North America from her native Ireland. The bay filly enters the Lake George off a third-place finish in the June 2 Penn Oaks and was beaten a head for the win by Andina Del Sur in the March 10 Florida Oaks (G3T) over 1 1/16 miles at Tampa Bay Downs.

Since that Florida Oaks triumph, Andina Del Sur has tried her hand against some of the top sophomore talents on both surfaces. The Tom Albertrani trainee was fourth to divisional leader Monomoy Girl on the main track in Keeneland's April 7 Central Bank Ashland Stakes (G1), and most recently finished sixth in the June 7 Wonder Again Stakes (G3T) at Belmont Park.

Trainer Chad Brown may not saddle Rushing Fall in the Lake George, but the two-time Eclipse Award winner still has a live pair in Altea and Punked. Altea, fifth in the Wonder Again, is seeking her first North America win in her fourth start since coming over from France while Punked won a May 13 allowance race at Belmont before running second in the Wild Applause Stakes there June 23.

Entries: Lake George S. (G3T)

Saratoga Race Course, Friday, July 20, 2018, Race 9

• Grade IIIT
• 1 1/16m
• Turf
• $150,000
• 3 yo Fillies
• 5:40 PM (local)

PP	Horse	Jockey	Wgt	Trainer	M/L
1	1Punked (IRE)	Javier Castellano	118	Chad C. Brown	5/1
2	2Going Out (KY)	Luis Saez	118	Michael R. Matz	30/1
3	3Daddy Is a Legend (PA)	Manuel Franco	122	George Weaver	9/5
4	4Nootka Sound (KY)	Dylan Davis	116	Wesley A. Ward	5/2
5	5Goodthingstaketime (IRE)	Jose L. Ortiz	116	Jorge R. Abreu	7/2
6	6Andina Del Sur (KY)	Julien R. Leparoux	124	Thomas Albertrani	8/1
7	7Altea (FR)	Irad Ortiz, Jr.	116	Chad C. Brown	3/1
8	8Heavenly Love (KY)	John R. Velazquez	122	Mark E. Casse	6/1