Queen of Hawaii looks to rebound in G3 Winter Memories
Lindy Farms’ Irish-bred Queen of Hawaii is primed for a rebound effort in search of her first American stakes score in Sunday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Winter Memories, a one-mile Widener turf test for sophomore fillies, at Belmont Park.
Trained by Philip Antonacci, the Kingman bay defeated elders in her stateside and barn debut in July at Saratoga Race Course, winning by a neck over next-out victor Play With Fire in a one-mile optional claimer from post 1-of-8.
Queen of Hawaii was a last-out 1 3/4-length fifth to Naomis in the one-mile Grade 2 Lake Placid on August 29 at the Spa. There, she again exited post 1-of-8 under Jose Ortiz and traveled just over four lengths back in seventh through three-quarters in 1:13.22, angling out in the lane to miss the superfecta by a head, with Naomis completing the course in 1:35.72.
"It was one of those days where Jose got off her and said, 'nothing flowed our way at all,’” said Antonacci, who won this event last year with Ready for Candy. “Sometimes the rail works out like it did the time before and sometimes you get jammed up in the flow of the race. In the Lake Placid, they didn't go that fast, but she still ran to the wire and ran a credible race. I think it was a sneaky good performance for her, and I think the winner looks like a really top filly, so the form should hold up really well."
Queen of Hawaii previously made four starts for trainer Joseph O’Brien, including a third-out score in the Group 3 Irish EBF at The Curragh ahead of a seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in October at Del Mar.
"I think this filly is getting better now at this time of the year,” said Antonacci. “She should be really competitive."
Queen of Hawaii [post 6, Ricardo Santana, Jr.], a $270,611 purchase from Book 1 of the 2024 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, is out of the winning Galileo mare Hibiscus, a full-sister to 2018 Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf-winner Line of Duty.
Live Oak Plantation’s Florida homebred Ultimate Love [post 7, Javier Castellano] was a half-length second last out in the Lake Placid and earned a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure with a close-up stalking trip. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the Curlin chestnut showed improvement from a fifth in the Grade 3 Lake George presented by Surfside four weeks earlier at the Spa, which followed a ninth in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks there.
“She found herself in a great spot and she did everything really well, except she wasn’t quite able to hold off the horse that came and got her,” Trombetta said. “She’s been training well since. I didn’t put a ton of pressure on her because she’s been running hard this summer. She’s doing well and we are looking forward to getting to see her run again.”
Ultimate Love, who kicked off her campaign with a head defeat in the Listed Hilltop in May at Laurel Park, seeks her first win since the Selima last September there. That win capped a 3-for-3 start to the filly’s career and led to her favoritism in the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf, where she finished a three-length fifth from post 1-of-12.
“We are hoping she continues to move in the right direction,” said Trombetta. “Other than the [Belmont Oaks] when she had a really rough trip, she’s done everything pretty well.”
Woodslane Racing’s Kentucky homebred Sister Troienne [post 9, Junior Alvarado] is a newcomer to New York, but has already made noise in Kentucky and Florida, highlighted by a five-race win streak.
Trained by Brian Lynch, the Munnings chestnut’s streak spanned last September to January, including a second-out graduation at Churchill Downs, an allowance at Keeneland, and the Wait a While, Listed Ginger Brew and Listed Sweetest Chant at Gulfstream Park.
“She was a model of consistency through the winter,” said Lynch. “She showed up every time. She was always a big, robust sort of filly and she’s trained lovely this time around and looks amazing. I think she’s that much more mature, so it’ll be interesting to see how this little road trip goes with her.”
Sister Troienne’s streak came to an end with a head defeat in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in February at Gulfstream ahead of a last-out fifth in the Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland.
“She’s had a little time off. She had some bone bruising there in the spring, so we gave her the time she needed and couldn’t be happier with the way she’s coming into it,” Lynch said. “She’s had a nice series of works and I think she goes into it as good as we can get her. It’s an ideal place for a comeback race and this sets us up for the [Grade 2] Valley View in late October at Keeneland.”
Sister Troienne is out of the stakes-placed Lemon Drop Kid mare Dyna Passer, a half-sister to Grade 1-winning multimillionaire Sadler’s Joy and multiple graded stakes-winning millionaire Wolfie’s Dynaghost.
“I think she’s very tactical,” Lynch said. “If there’s no pace, she can be up close. If they’re going fast, she can find herself a nice tactical position.”
Madaket Stables, Michael Dubb, William Strauss, William Rucker and Michael Caruso’s Shelzawa [post 11, Flavien Prat] closed to graduate at fourth asking against elders in July at Saratoga before returning to win an optional claimer on August 29 there. Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, the Zelzal bay made her stateside and barn debut with a third in June at the Spa after two seconds in her native France for conditioner Joel Boisnard.
Brown also sends out Klaravich Stables’ French-bred Crossover Capital [post 2, Manny Franco], who is a perfect 2-for-2. The Zarak bay has made both efforts at 1 1/16 miles, closing to win versus maiden elders in June at Monmouth Park ahead of an optional claiming score on July 25 at the Spa.
Brown and the late Christophe Clement have each won the Winter Memories, which was inaugurated in 2016, a co-record three times with the former’s past winners including Rymska [2017], Duopoly [2020] and Salimah [2022].
Lee Pokoik’s Peppermint Twist [post 3, Jose Lezcano] won her debut in a one-mile maiden versus elders on August 30 at the Spa. Trained by George Weaver, the Not This Time bay traveled 6 1/2 lengths off the pace in third position early before closing strongly to win by four lengths and earn an 81 Beyer.
Rounding out the field are dual graded/group-placed Flowerhead [post 5, Antonio Fresu] for trainer Charlie Clover; Grade 3-placed Kokomotion [post 1, Edgard Zayas] for conditioner Whit Beckman; dual stakes-placed Lovely Grey [post 8, Dylan Davis] for conditioner Kelsey Danner; state-bred stakes-winner Victory Hall [post 4, Rajiv Maragh] for trainer Tom Morley; and Alone Time [post 10, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer Cherie DeVaux.
The Winter Memories is slated as Race 8 on Sunday’s nine-race card, which includes the Grade 3 Belmont Turf Sprint in Race 7. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
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