LOUISVILLE, KY – James M. Miller’s Lovely Bernadette extender her stakes win streak to three after taking Friday’s Grade 2, $200,000 Mrs. Revere Stakes at Churchill Downs.
Bumped at the start by Oh So Terrible after breaking from post 4 under Florent Geroux, Lovely Bernadette quickly recovered and tracked Marina’s Legacy through initial splits of :24.55 and :50.92. Taking the lead with less than 2 furlongs to go, the James DiVito trainee kicked clear inside the 1/8 pole and held off two late comers to win by a 1/2 length in a final time of 1:47.02 for the 1 1/16-mile race over yielding turf.
“This filly has so much tactical speed I was able to sit a perfect trip,” Geroux said. “She felt like she had plenty left turning for home when the horses caught up to us. I think since we went slower on the backstretch that she was able to get a breather before turning for home. Jimmy has done such a great job with this filly throughout her career. She’s capable of winning a Grade 1 next year.”
Journey Home bit between horses late and, while unable to catch the leader in time, was able to beat favored Daddys Lil Darling to the wire by a neck for second. I’m Betty G was a head past Fault for fourth, with Westit, Proud Reunion, Tamit, Oh So Terrible, and Marina’s Legacy completing the order of finish. Sensitive was scratched.
Now a winner of three straight stakes races, including the $200,000 Indiana Grand Stakes and the Grade 3 Pin Oak Valley View at Keeneland, the 3-year-old daughter of Wilburn improved her career record to 14-7-0-3 with earnings of $508,413.
“She’s gotten the absolute perfect trip in her last three starts,” DiVito said. “They were going a slower pace up front today, but Flo had her in a perfect spot. Once I saw the 1/2-mile split in :50, I knew she’d have plenty left for when they turned for home. The sky is the limit for this horse. She’s shown us how talented she is on the grass and I think she’ll just keep getting better with age.”
Lovely Bernadette returned $9.80 to win, $4.80 to place, and $2.60 to show. Journey Home brought back $5.80 to place and $2.80 to show, while Daddys Lil Darling paid $2.20 to show.
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