Undefeated Ultimate Love dominates in stakes debut

Live Oak Plantation’s homebred 2-year-old filly Ultimate Love scored a four-length win in the $125,000 Selima S. Sept. 27 at Laurel Park, winning the 1 1/16-mile turf race with a very strong finish kick [WATCH RACE].

After a pair of dominating wins on the turf at Colonial Downs and Laurel Park, Ultimate Love stepped up to stakes competition for the first time on Saturday. The 3-2 favorite was going along very comfortably in the clear while fourth through the first five furlongs. Ultimate Love began her bid for the lead entering the final turn and was within a length of the pacesetter turning for home. She soon collared Celebrity Warrior (IRE) and went by her relatively easy, drawing off in the final furlong to finish in 1:43.58 on the firm turf.

“I didn’t know how she would do on the turf,” trainer Michael Trombetta said of the filly’s debut. “From when we ran her on it the first time at Colonial, all the feedback was good, so here we are again. Curlin will get you dirt. The dam-side is more turf. What I like about this filly is that I think she’s going to be a mile-and-an-eighth, mile-and-a-quarter type of filly.”

Tombetta added that he would consider Ultimate Love for the GI Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar Oct. 31.

Ultimate Love, out of the Bernardini mare Tsunami of Love, has earned $146,400 in her three starts.