God of Love | Horse Racing Free Tips

Classic Encounter in Sam F. Davis

A promising group looking to punch their tickets to this season's Triple Crown in Saturday's 1 1/16-mile GIII Sam F. Davis S., awarding 'Road to the Kentucky Derby' points to the first four finishers (10-14-2-1). Looking to return to the winner's circle is Kentucky West Racing and Clarke M. Cooper's Classic Causeway (Giant's Causeway), trained by Brian Lynch. An impressive 6 1/2-length winner ahead of next-out scorer Trafalgar (Lord Nelson) in his career debut going seven furlongs at Saratoga Sept. 4, the chestnut came home third in Keeneland's GI Claiborne Breeders' Futurity Oct. 9 before playing the bridesmaid to undefeated Smile Happy (Runhappy) in Churchill's GII Kentucky Jockey Club S. Nov. 27. On that occasion, he finished ahead of third-place finisher White Abarrio (Race Day), who returned to annex his seasonal bow in the Feb. 5 GIII Holy Bull S. at Gulfstream. Irad Ortiz Jr. rides Classic Causeway for the first time Saturday.

“I'd like to see him get his first graded-stakes victory and keep picking up Derby points,” said Lynch. “His workouts have been solid, and everything about them suggests he should run well.”

He added, “I feel that if he runs his race, he will certainly fit with these horses. He has a high cruising speed and he has gotten much bigger and stronger as a 3-year-old. He has the tactical speed to not be very far from the engine room, and hopefully, he will be first to the wire.”

Red Oak Stable's Make It Big (Neolithic) attempts to collect his first win at the graded level following a trio of wins, including Gulfstream's Juvenile Sprint S. in October before a narrow score in Remington's Springboard Mile S. Dec. 17.

“He got in between horses and had to rate a bit, and then he got hooked late and had to out-battle him to the wire. It was a very professional performance,” said Saffie Joseph Jr. of the colt's latest win. “This horse has a good mind, and he has found a way to win each time. He probably needs to improve to win Saturday, but he has improved in each race, so hopefully he will follow suit.”

Iris Smith Stable's Shipsational (Midshipman) ventures south following a trio of victories facing fellow New York breds. A debut winner at Saratoga last summer, he was fourth in that venue's state-bred Funny Cide S. but bounced back to win his next two, including the one-mile Sleep Hollow S. at Belmont Oct. 30.

God of Love (Cupid), winner of the GIII Grey S. at Woodbine last November, is one of three runners for Mark Casse. The Hall of Famer also conditions undefeated Golden Glider (Ghostzapper) and recent maiden winner Volcanic (Violence).

Howling Time (Not This Time) was a late scratch Friday.

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God Of Love Will Try To Transfer Tapeta Form To Dirt In Withers

Canadian-bred graded stakes-winner God of Love will look to transfer his good form from Tapeta to dirt when he ships to Aqueduct Racetrack for the Grade 3, $250,000 Withers on Feb. 5.

The nine-furlong test for 3-year-olds is the next local prep on the Road to the Kentucky Derby, awarding the top-four finishers 10-4-2-1 qualifying points toward the Grade 1, $3 million Kentucky Derby on May 7 at Churchill Downs.

Eclipse Thoroughbreds and Gary Barber's God of Love, trained by Hall of Famer Mark Casse, is already a stakes winner over turf and Tapeta in only four starts. Two starts after capturing the Cup and Saucer in October on the Woodbine turf, the chestnut colt provided his young sire Cupid with a first graded stakes winner when taking the 1 1/16-mile Grade 3 Grey on Nov. 28 on the Woodbine Tapeta.

“He's a pretty good horse. If he can have the same type of form on dirt that he does on the synthetic, he'll be a force. In his last race, he ran a 4.5 Thorograph number, which puts you right there,” Casse said.

One start prior to the Grey, God of Love finished a troubled fifth in the nine-furlong Coronation Futurity on the Woodbine Tapeta after having to steady several times.

“He was the favorite in his start before the Grey and I awarded him worst trip of the year of any horse I ran last year,” Casse said. “It was a terrible, terrible trip. He checked about three or four times.”

God of Love joined Casse's winter division at Palm Meadows Training Center in Florida, where he has worked three times since the Grey. The Withers will be God of Love's first race outside of his native Canada.

“I think he'll end up being champion 2-year-old in Canada. The reason I sent him to Toronto was because he was a Canadian-bred,” Casse said.

Bred in Ontario by William D. Graham, God of Love is out of the Three Wonders mare No Wonder, a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Weemissfrankie, who also produced Canadian-bred stakes-winner Muskoka Wonder.

God of Love was a $100,000 purchase at the OBS March Sale, where he was consigned by Golden Thoroughbreds Training and Sales.

Other probable candidates for the Withers include Courvoisier, Smarten Up and Cooke Creek – the top-three finishers of the Jerome – as well as January 2 maiden winner Constitutionlawyer.

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God of Love First Graded Winner for Cupid

God of Love closed stoutly to give freshman sire Cupid (Tapit) his first graded victory in the GIII Grey S. at Woodbine Sunday. The chestnut colt broke from the outside and was caught five wide into the first turn while racing towards the back of the field. He had one horse beaten down the backstretch behind an opening quarter in :24.42 and a half in :49.58, but he began inching closer approaching the far turn. Caught wide once again turning for home, God of Love stormed into contention at the top of the lane and strode effortlessly to the lead in the final strides for an authoritative victory.

God of Love broke his maiden in the Cup and Saucer S. over the Woodbine lawn Oct. 10, but was mired in traffic before closing to finish fifth as the favorite over the Tapeta in the Coronation Futurity last time out Oct. 30.

Pedigree Notes:

No Wonder, also the dam of 2018 Clarendon S. winner Muskoka Wonder (Into Mischief), has a weanling filly by Where's the Ring and was bred back to Ami's Holiday. The mare is a half-sister to multiple Grade I winner Weemissfrankie (Sunriver) and to graded placed Stop Smiling (It's No Joke).

The late breeder William Graham purchased No Wonder, in foal to Into Mischief, for $53,000 at the 2016 Fasig-Tipton February sale. In foal to Good Samaritan, No Wonder sold for $25,000 at the 2019 Keeneland November sale.

Winner of the 2017 GI Gold Cup at Santa Anita, Cupid is also the sire of two-time stakes winner The Sky Is Falling and graded placed Desert Dawn.

Sunday, Woodbine
GREY S.-GIII, C$174,800, Woodbine, 11-28, 2yo, 1 1/16m (AWT), 1:44.20, ft.
1–GOD OF LOVE, 122, c, 2, by Cupid
1st Dam: No Wonder, by Three Wonders
2nd Dam: Starinthemeadow, by Meadowlake
3rd Dam: Lite a Star, by Our Michael
1ST GRADED STAKES WIN. ($77,000 Wlg '19 KEENOV; $9,000
Ylg '20 KEESEP; $100,000 2yo '21 OBSMAR). O-Eclipse
Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber; B-William D. Graham
(ON); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Rafael Manuel Hernandez. C$108,000.
Lifetime Record: 4-2-0-0, $208,993. *1/2 to Muskoka Wonder
(Into Mischief), SW, $111,436. **1st graded stakes winner for
freshman sire (by Tapit). Werk Nick Rating: A. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Ironstone, 121, c, 2, Mr Speaker–Casey's Dreamin', by
Unbridled's Song. 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE. (C$7,000 Ylg '20
CANSEP). O-Tequesta Racing Inc. and Jupiter Leasing Co.;
B-Kingview Farms (ON); T-W. V. Armata. C$36,000.
3–On Thin Ice, 119, c, 2, More Than Ready–Frozen Treat, by
Dynaformer. 1ST BLACK TYPE, 1ST GRADED BLACK TYPE.
($140,000 RNA Ylg '20 KEESEP). O/B-DJ Stable, LLC (KY);
T-Mark E. Casse. C$15,000.
Margins: 1HF, 1HF, HD. Odds: 4.80, 5.05, 11.55.
Also Ran: Churchtown, Heat Merchant, Hicksy, Be Like Clint, International, Stowaway, Shamateur. Scratched: Speak Unity, The Minkster. Click for the Equibase.com chart, the TJCIS.com PPs or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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God Of Love Gets First Graded Stakes Win In Grey At Woodbine

Mark Casse went two for two in graded stakes Sunday at Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario. God of Love went wide on the far turn to find running room in the stretch and take the Grade 3 Grey Stakes by a length and a half.

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.

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