Lovely Maria (foaled 23 April 2012) is an American

Thoroughbred The Thoroughbred is a list of horse breeds, horse breed developed for Thoroughbred racing, horse racing. Although the word ''thoroughbred'' is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thorough ...

racehorse Horse racing is an equestrian performance activity, typically involving two or more horses ridden by jockeys (or sometimes driven without riders) over a set distance for competition. It is one of the most ancient of all sports, as its bas ...

. After winning two of her first six races she recorded her first major win in the

Ashland Stakes The Ashland Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky, United States. It and the Ashland Oaks, the Kentucky Association racetrack's predecessor race, were named fo ...

in April 2015 before winning the

Kentucky Oaks The Kentucky Oaks is a Grade I stakes race for three-year-old Thoroughbred fillies staged annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The race currently covers at Churchill Downs; the horses carry . The Kentucky Oaks is held on the Frida ...

on May 1.

Background

Lovely Maria is a bay filly with a white blaze bred in Kentucky by Olin B Gentry & Thomas B Gaines. She is from the first crop of foals sired by Majesticperfection, a lightly raced sprinter who recorded his biggest win in the Alfred G Vanderbilt Handicap. Her dam, Thundercup, is an unraced daughter of the Kentucky Derby winner

Thunder Gulch Thunder Gulch (May 23, 1992 – March 19, 2018) was a Eclipse Award, Champion United States, American Thoroughbred racehorse best known for his wins in the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes in 1995, which earned him the title of Eclipse Awar ...

and a half-sister of the multiple

Graded stakes race A graded stakes race is a thoroughbred horse race in the United States that meets the criteria of the American Graded Stakes Committee of the Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Association (TOBA). A specific grade level (I, II, III or listed) is th ...

winner Rare Blend. Lovely Maria was sent into training with

J. Larry Jones J. Larry Jones (born September 2, 1956, in Hopkinsville, Kentucky) is an American Thoroughbred horse race, Thoroughbred horse racing horse trainer, trainer. He has trained over one thousand winners, including three winners of the Kentucky Oaks: Pro ...

, who had previously had great success with fillies and mares including

Eight Belles Eight Belles (February 23, 2005 – May 3, 2008) was an American Thoroughbred racehorse who came second in the 2008 Kentucky Derby to the winner Big Brown. Her collapse just after the race resulted in immediate euthanasia. Earlier in the year ...

Proud Spell Proud Spell (foaled May 13, 2005) is an American Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare. As a two-year-old in 2007 she was rated one of the best juvenile fillies in the United States, winning her first three races including the Matron Stakes befo ...

and Havre de Grace. She has been ridden in all of her races by the veteran jockey Kerwin "Boo Boo" Clark.

Racing career

2014: two-year-old season

Lovely Maria began her racing career in a five

furlong A furlong is a measure of distance in imperial units and United States customary units equal to one-eighth of a mile, equivalent to any of 660 foot (unit), feet, 220 yards, 40 rod (unit), rods, 10 chain (unit), chains, or a ...

maiden race In horse racing, a maiden race is an event for horses that have not won a race. Horses that have not won a race are referred to as maidens. Maiden horse races are held over a variety of distances and under conditions with eligibility based on the s ...

Delaware Park Racetrack Delaware Park (also known as ''DelPark'') is an American Thoroughbred horse racing track, casino, and golf course in Stanton, Delaware. It is located just outside the city of Wilmington, Delaware, Wilmington, and about 30 miles from Philadelphia ...

on September 4. She raced in third place until the straight and then finished strongly to win by three-quarters of a

length Length is a measure of distance. In the International System of Quantities, length is a quantity with Dimension (physical quantity), dimension distance. In most systems of measurement a Base unit (measurement), base unit for length is chosen, ...

from Souba Sue. She then finished second to Sarah Sis in an

allowance race The following is a glossary of North American horse racing. Additional glossaries at: *Glossary of Australian and New Zealand punting *Glossary of equestrian terms This is a basic glossary of equestrian terms that includes both technical term ...

over furlongs at

Keeneland Racecourse Keeneland Association, Inc. is an equine business based in Lexington, Kentucky. It includes two distinct divisions: the Keeneland Race Course, a Thoroughbred racing facility, and Keeneland Sales, a horse auction complex. It is also known for it ...

on October 11 and then ran second again in a similar event at

Fair Grounds Race Course Fair Grounds Race Course, often known as New Orleans Fair Grounds, is a thoroughbred racetrack and racino in New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana. It is operated by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horseracing Company, LLC. The ''Carrollton Race Cours ...

in November. On her final start of the year the filly was moved up in class and distance for the Trapeze Stakes over one mile at Remington Park in December. She was favored in the betting but finished fourth of the eleven runners behind Zooming.

2015: three-year-old season

On her three-year-old debut Lovely Maria won a minor race at Fair Grounds on January 26, beating Shook Up by lengths. She then finished second to her stablemate I'm A Chatterbox in the

Grade II In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

Rachel Alexandra Stakes at the same track four weeks later. On April 4 the filly was stepped up in class for the Grade I

and started favorite against six opponents headed by Angela Renee, a filly who had won the Chandelier Stakes and started favorite for the

Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies The Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies is a -mile thoroughbred horse race on dirt (although the distance has varied, depending on the configuration of the host track) for two-year-old fillies run annually since 1984 at a different racetrack in the Un ...

. After racing in third place she took the lead in the straight and drew away to win by lengths from Angela Renee. The win, which earned the filly place in the field for the Kentucky Oaks, was the first at the highest level for the 56-year-old Kerwin Clark. On May 1, in front of a record crowd of 123,763, Lovely Maria started 6.3/1 fifth choice in the betting for the

. The favorite was

Stellar Wind A stellar wind is a flow of gas ejected from the stellar atmosphere, upper atmosphere of a star. It is distinguished from the bipolar outflows characteristic of young stars by being less collimated, although stellar winds are not generally spheri ...

(winner of the

Santa Anita Oaks Santa Anita Oaks is an American Grade II Thoroughbred horse race held annually in early April at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, California. Open to three-year-old fillies willing to race 8.5 furlongs ( miles) on the dirt. The race is a Grade II even ...

) ahead of Condo Commando (

Gazelle Stakes The Gazelle Stakes (formerly Gazelle Handicap until 2004) is an American thoroughbred horse race held annually at Aqueduct Racetrack in Ozone Park, New York. It is a Graded stakes race, Grade III event run over a distance of miles on dirt that is ...

), Birdatthewire ( Gulfstream Oaks) and I'm A Chatterbox, whilst the outsiders included Angela Renee, Sarah Sis and Shook Up. Clark settled the filly in fourth before moving up to challenge Angela Renee for the lead entering the straight. She took the lead a furlong out and quickly went clear of her rivals, winning by lengths from Shook Up with I'm A Chatterbox taking third. Lovely Maria failed to win in three subsequent races. She finished fifth in the Delaware Oaks, sixth in the

Alabama Stakes The Alabama Stakes is an American Thoroughbred horse race open to three-year-old fillies. Inaugurated in 1872, the Grade I race is run over a distance of one and one-quarter miles on the dirt track at Saratoga Race Course. Held in mid August, i ...

and fifth in the

Spinster Stakes The Spinster Stakes (also known as the "Juddmonte Spinster" with Juddmonte Farms sponsorship) is an American Thoroughbred horse race for fillies and mares aged three or up run annually in early October at Keeneland Racecourse in Lexington, Kentuc ...

. she has been sold to Japanese interests for an undisclosed amount.

Pedigree

References

{{reflist 2012 racehorse births Racehorses bred in Kentucky Racehorses trained in the United States Kentucky Oaks winners Thoroughbred family 5-g