“He got the job done today,” said winning jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr. “Luis [Saez] was riding, and I was riding, and coming to the wire, he got his head in front. In the Breeders' Cup Mile (GI), he stumbled at the break, but I kept asking, and he kept trying. And he was facing some very good horses. It's nice to see him back and in great condition. Hopefully, he'll have another great year.”

Out of GSW/MGISP My Miss Sophia, Annapolis has a 2-year-old full-brother, Eisenhower, and a newborn half-sister by Gun Runner. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

OPENING VERSE S., $297,500, Churchill Downs, 5-4, 4yo/up, 1mT, 1:35.73, fm.
1–ANNAPOLIS, 124, c, 4, War Front–My Miss Sophia (GSW &
MGISP, $605,040), by Unbridled's Song. 'TDN Rising Star'.
O/B-Bass Stables, LLC (KY); T-Todd A. Pletcher; J-Irad Ortiz, Jr.
$175,270. Lifetime Record: GISW, 9-6-2-0, $1,341,370. *Full to
Nevisian Sunrise, SP, $196,180.
2–Churchtown, 120, g, 4, Air Force Blue–Complicated, by
Blame. ($65,000 RNA Wlg '19 KEENOV; $40,000 RNA Ylg '20
KEESEP). O/B-William Harrigan & Mike Pietrangelo (KY);
T-Roger L. Attfield. $56,700.
3–Set Piece (GB), 120, g, 7, Dansili (GB)–Portodora, by
Kingmambo. O/B-Juddmonte Farms (East) Ltd (GB); T-Brad H.
Cox. $25,850.
Margins: HD, 2, HD. Odds: 0.83, 7.88, 3.70.
Also Ran: English Bee, Stitched, Get Smokin, Kentucky Ghost, Time to Party, Gray's Fable, Camp Hope, Native Thunder. Scratched: Sky and Sand.

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In a crowded field of 12 on a snowy day at Woodbine, Churchtown was the fastest out of the gate, taking a one-length lead as the field approached the first turn. Down the backstretch, Churchtown maintained his lead with Stowaway, Ironstone, and Hicksy stalking. God of Love was next to last on the backstretch, jockey Rafael Hernandez keeping him on the outside of horses as they entered the far turn.

Four-wide into the stretch, Hernandez set God of Love down for a drive as Ironstone passed Churchtown in the Woodbine straight. In the race's final sixteenth, God of Love rallied past Ironstone and On Thin Ice to take the G3 Grey Stakes. Churchtown held on for fourth. Heat Merchant, Hicksy, Be Like Clint, International, Stowaway, and Shamateur rounded out the order of finish.

The final time for the 1 1/16 miles over the all-weather course was 1:44.20. Find this race's chart here.

God of Love paid $11.60, $5.70, and $3.40. Ironstone paid $6.10 and $5.00. On Thin Ice paid $7.00.

Bred in Ontario by William D. Graham, God of Love is by Cupid out of the Three Wonders mare No Wonder. He is owned by Gary Barber and Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners, who purchased the 2-year-old colt from Golden Thoroughbreds Training and Sales for $100,000 at the 2021 Ocala Breeders' Sales Company March Two-Year-Olds In Training Sale. With his win in the G3 Grey, God of Love has two wins in four starts for career earnings of $208,993. God of Love's G3 stakes win gives sire Cupid his first graded stakes winner.

The post God Of Love Gets First Graded Stakes Win In Grey At Woodbine appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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