Limestone S. | Horse Racing Free Tips

Topping a Wesley Ward-trained exacta, Love Reigns got her 3-year-old campaign off on the right foot with a late-charging win in Friday's FanDuel Limestone S. over her preferred 5 1/2-furlong distance. Named 'TDN Rising Star' off a 9 3/4-length romp at first asking over this same track nearly a year ago, the daughter of U S Navy Flag then tried her hand across the pond at Royal Ascot, checking in fourth beaten three lengths in the G2 Queen Mary S. Back in the States and back in the winner's circle for Saratoga's Bolton Landing S. last August, Love Reigns ended her season with a distant finish against the boys in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint.

Stuck behind rivals after a sharp break Friday, the filly was at least able to save ground as she beat only a handful of horses up the backstretch led by Accomplished Girl (Street Boss). Still boxed in as the field swung past the quarter pole, Love Reigns had to check sharply before tipping inside to regain her momentum. Under an expertly-timed ride by Joel Rosario, she dove through an opening between rivals with a sixteenth to run and charged up the fence to nail stablemate Lady Hollywood just before the wire as the 5-2 favorite.

“She's a special filly,” praised trainer Wesley Ward. “I've kind of been waiting for this to come out since her maiden win here. She likes Keeneland, she loved the course when she broke her maiden here a year ago, and we're just real, real happy it worked out. (Jockey) Joel (Rosario) is kind of my come-from-behind guy that I ride on horses that I like to do that with–which aren't many, but this being one. He's just a phenomenal rider. He gets them back there, gets them to relax. He had us a little worried there at the eighth pole, but thank God the seas parted and he came through and he won.”

Love Reigns has a pair of younger siblings–a 2-year-old half-sister by Kodiac (GB) and a yearling half-brother by Mehmas (Ire). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

FANDUEL LIMESTONE S., $208,188, Keeneland, 4-14, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:02.45, fm.
1–LOVE REIGNS (IRE), 120, f, 3, by U S Navy Flag
                1st Dam: Humble And Proud (Ire), by Pivotal (GB)
                2nd Dam: Delauncy (GB), by Machiavellian
                3rd Dam: Casey (GB), by Caerleon
'TDN Rising Star'. (€160,000 Ylg '21 GOFOR). O-Stonestreet
Stables LLC; B-Patrick Grogan (Ire); T-Wesley A. Ward; J-Joel
Rosario. $114,700. Lifetime Record: 5-3-0-0, $242,065. *1/2 to
Glorious Empire (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}), GISW,
$977,227.
2–Lady Hollywood (GB), 120, f, 3, Havana Grey (GB)–Dubai
Legend (GB), by Cadeaux Genereux (GB). (11,000gns RNA Wlg
'20 TATFOA; €25,000 Ylg '21 GOFSPT; 58,000gns RNA 2yo '22
TATBRE; $600,000 2yo '22 FTKNOV). O-AMO Racing USA; B-D.
& S. L. Tanker Transport Ltd (GB); T-Wesley A. Ward. $37,000.
3–My Sweet Affair, 118, f, 3, Twirling Candy–Illicit Affair, by
Midnight Lute. ($72,000 2yo '22 OBSAPR). 1ST BLACK TYPE.
O-R. A. Hill Stable and Gatsas Stables; B-Highclere Inc., Dr. Amy
Rabanal & Constance Wickes (KY); T-George Weaver. $23,125.
Margins: HF, HF, 1 1/4. Odds: 2.69, 3.23, 9.90.
Also Ran: American Apple, Sassy Nature, Just a Care (Ire), Accomplished Girl, Stone Silent, Camp Akeela, Twirled, Alluring Angel (GB). Scratched: Danse Macabre.

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Ruthin (GB) (Ribchester {Ire}) led home a 'TDN Rising Star' 1-3 finish in Friday's co-featured TVG Limestone S. at Keeneland, as she turned away a bid from her pace-pressing and favored stablemate, fellow 'Rising Star' Her World (Ire) (Caravaggio) and held off a late dive from Derrynane (Quality Road) for a narrow victory.

So quickly into stride that jockey John Velazquez reported post-race that he surged back in the irons, Ruthin, a six-length graduate in a course-and-distance maiden 51 weeks ago to become the first winner for her sire, cut out the running, but was kept in about the four path through an opening couple of furlongs in :22.59. Fractionally closer to the fence as they raced around the turn, Ruthin held the advantage, but there was plenty of room at the inside for stablemate Her World–herself a debut victress against the boys in the Tyro S. at Monmouth last August–if good enough when push came to shove. Try as she might, the gray filly just could not bridge the gap and the wire came in the nick of time for Ruthin. Derrynane, a late-running fourth to Stonestreet's Twilight Gleaming (Ire) (National Defense {GB}) in last year's GII Breeders' Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint, switched off at the back, was produced in upper stretch and attacked the line hard to just miss.

Seventh of 27 as the 3-1 favorite in last year's Listed Windsor Castle S. at Royal Ascot, Ruthin could return to that meeting, pending a dinner discussion with Barbara Banke, trainer Wesley Ward said.

The second stakes scorer for her G1 Prix Jacques le Marois and G1 Queen Anne-winning sire (by Iffraaj {GB}), Ruthin was the most expensive of the Darley stallion's first-crop yearlings when hammering to Ben McElroy on behalf of Stonestreet for 350,000gns at Tattersalls October in 2020. The dual stakes-winning Selinka is also the dam of a yearling colt by G2 Richmond S. hero Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never).

TVG LIMESTONE S., $155,100, Keeneland, 4-15, 3yo, f, 5 1/2fT, 1:03.33, gd.
1–RUTHIN (GB), 118, f, 3, by Ribchester (Ire)
1st Dam: Selinka (GB) (MSW-Eng, $119,968), by Selkirk
2nd Dam: Lady Links (GB), by Bahamian Bounty (GB)
3rd Dam: Sparky's Song (GB), by Electric (GB)
'TDN Rising Star' 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (350,000gns Ylg '20 TATOCT). O-Stonestreet Stables LLC; B-Highclere Stud & Jake Warren Ltd (GB); T-Wesley A Ward; J-John R Velazquez. $89,513. Lifetime Record: 3-2-0-0, $111,233. *1/2 to Hit The Bid (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), MGSW-Ire, GSP-UAE, GSP-Eng, $410,031.
2–Derrynane, 120, f, 3, Quality Road–Portmagee, by Hard Spun. O/B-Waterville Lake Stables (NY); T-Christophe Clement. $28,875.
3–Her World (Ire), 120, f, 3, Caravaggio–Mundus Novus, by Unbridled's Song. ($400,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP; $425,000 3yo '22 KEEJAN). 'TDN Rising Star' O-Andrew Farm, For the People Racing Stable LLC & Windmill Manor Farm; B-Lynch Bages Ltd & Rhinestone B/Stock (IRE); T-Wesley A Ward. $14,437.
Margins: NK, 3/4, NK. Odds: 8.10, 2.50, 1.10.
Also Ran: Lost My Sock, Unbridled Mary, Gun Boat, Sin City Gal, Thunder Love (GB). Scratched: Fast Corey, Kaufymaker. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

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