Lovely Ride, coming off a win in the Dec. 10 Mistletoe Stakes, won her second straight stakes in Saturday's $150,000 Pippin Stakes at Oaklawn Park and provided trainer Robertino Diodoro with his 3,001st career victory.
Earlier in the day, Diodoro won the second race with Arthurian to become only the 37th trainer in North America to win 3,000 races.
Breaking from post position three under current leading rider Cristian Torres, Lovely Ride went right for the lead and proceed to set early fractions of :23.32 and :47.40 for the first half mile. Ice Orchid, who had tracked from second throughout the race, could not get to the winner and finished three-quarters of a length behind in the place spot. The 5-2 favorite La Da Vida finished third after closing from sixth.
The winning time was 1:44.04 for 1 1 1/16 miles over a fast track.
Lovely Ride, a Candy Ride filly out of Grade 2 winner Lovely Lil, by Tiznow, improved her record to 7-3-1 in 15 career starts and has earned $508,573 for owners John Holleman, Flying P Stable, and Jerry Nafe. She was bred in Kentucky by Allied Racing Stable LLC.
Lovely Ride returned $8.60 for the victory.
Pippin Stakes Quotes
Winning jockey Cristian Torres: 'There was a lot of speed, but the filly's been training beautifully. The way the track has been playing today, we had to (break) and go. She proved she can go any distance. She was beautiful. Today she proved she can run anywhere.”
Winning trainer Robertino Diodoro: “I kept saying she had to step it up a length or two to beat this field today. I thought it was a little tougher field. Said before she was going into the first race (Mistletoe) great and came out of the race better than we thought and was going into this race better than the first one. When things all work out like that, then the horses actually kind of make you look smart. It feels good. Like I said, she did step it up today.”
The post Lovely Ride Caps Diodoro’s Banner Day At Oaklawn With Gate-To-Wire Pippin Victory appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.
