Lots to like about Ultimate Love in G3 Lake George presented by Surfside

Live Oak Plantation’s stakes-winning Florida homebred Ultimate Love will look to make the grade in Saturday’s Grade 3, $225,000 Lake George presented by Surfside, a 1 1/16-mile inner turf route for sophomore fillies, at Saratoga Race Course. 

Trained by Michael Trombetta, the Curlin chestnut won her first three starts last year, topped by a four-length score in the 1 1/16-mile Selima in September at Laurel Park. She went into the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf in October at Del Mar as the mutuel favorite and finished a three-length fifth.

“We broke her maiden in her first start going long, which was a bit of a surprise, and she just kept on going from there,” Trombetta said. “She ran OK in the Breeders' Cup. I think that track and that distance was maybe a little bit fast for her liking. She ran well enough, but she just really couldn't gain any ground on anybody.”

Ultimate Love [post 5, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] returned to action in the one-mile Listed Hilltop in May at Laurel and utilized a stalking trip to finish a head second to Coach Mazzula. Last out, she stepped into Grade 1 company once more in the nine-furlong Belmont Oaks and endured a difficult trip from post 9-of-10.

There, she was away well and traveling in fifth position but the slow-starting Abashiri was rushed up on the outside into the first turn as a number of horses jostled for position along the rail with Ultimate Love soon finding herself seventh and wide. The pacesetting Kensington Lane proved brave on the front end to win with Ultimate Love fading to ninth.

“I'm hoping I can just draw a line through that race and move on,” Trombetta said. “She did have a rough trip. She was bounced around pretty good and subsequently was parked out. It was a tough enough race as it was and that made it impossible.

“She came out of it good. I've been able to work her twice and both times she's worked well,” Trombetta added regarding a pair of breezes over the Fair Hill synthetic, including a bullet five-eighths in 1:01.40 July 25.

While Ultimate Love now drops into Grade 3 company, Trombetta – a four-time graded stakes-winner at the Spa, including a memorable Grade 1 Forego score with Win Win Win in 2020 – is well aware Ultimate Love will be in for another battle.

“This race is going to be hard. These graded races at Saratoga, there's no easy passes there,” Trombetta said. “Her first race off the layoff was really nice, just missed. I just need to get that last one behind me and hopefully get her back on the board.”

Ultimate Love is out of the Bernardini mare Tsunami of Love. Her second dam is My Typhoon [22-9-3-3, $1.3 million], who posted wins at the Spa in the 2006 Grade 2 Ballston Spa Handicap and 2007 Grade 1 Diana.

Emcee Stable’s Irish-bred Lion Lake [post 9, Luis Saez] has made her last four starts in graded company, hitting the board each time and topped by a head score under Tyler Gaffalione in the Grade 3 Herecomesthebride in February at Gulfstream Park.

Trained by Brendan Walsh, the Dark Angel grey followed with a pair of neck third-place finishes under Hall of Famer John Velazquez, beginning with the one-mile Grade 2 Appalachian in April at Keeneland that saw Storm’s Wake prevail in a blanket finish over the Walsh-trained Imaginationthelady.

Yet another close finish in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Edgewood in May at Churchill Downs saw Imaginationthelady rally to a head victory over the pacesetting Tam Tam, who had been tracked throughout by a stubborn Lion Lake.

Last out, Lion Lake was again prominent in the 1 1/16-mile Grade 2 Wonder Again presented by Shift4 here despite stumbling badly at the break. She recovered quickly to track the pace of Coach Mazzula from second position through three-quarters in 1:11.61.

Lion Lake put a head in front in upper stretch but Fitz Right loomed large to her outside and took over inside the furlong marker just as Velazquez dropped his crop and Lion Lake settled for a one-length second.

Lion Lake has since breezed three times over the Oklahoma training turf, including a five-eighths effort in 1:02 flat July 24.

The $162,366 purchase from Book 1 of the Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, out of the Cape Cross mare Urjuwaan, is a full-sister to dual Group 1-winner Alfareeq. Lion Lake will look to provide Walsh with a second win in this event after taking the 2017 renewal with Proctor’s Ledge.

Stonestreet Stables’ Irish-bred Amberglen [post 6, Irad Ortiz, Jr.] steps into graded company for the first time off a frontrunning five-length allowance score traveling nine furlongs versus elders on June 19 at Churchill Downs. There, she made every pole a winning one to stop the clock in 1:46.82 to earn a career and field-best 89 Beyer Speed Figure.

Trained by dual Eclipse Award-winner Brad Cox, the Night of Thunder chestnut won on debut in October traveling one-mile over firm Keeneland turf and followed with an even fourth in the one mile and 70 yards Wait A While in November over synthetic at Gulfstream Park to complete her juvenile campaign.

Amberglen made her seasonal debut in April at Keeneland, overcoming a bump at the break before closing from seventh-of-9 and 5 1/2-lengths off the pace to finish second to Luster, who captured the Grade 3 Selene two starts later at Woodbine ahead of a popular score in the $750,000 Woodbine Oaks.

Amberglen has prepared for her graded stakes debut over the Oklahoma training turf at Saratoga where she worked a half-mile in 49.44 seconds July 24.

“She’s doing really well and has been up there at Saratoga for her last couple works on the grass,” Cox said. “She ran a big race last time in a 3-and-up ‘1X’ at Churchill and we kind of zeroed in on this race since then. I think she’s hopefully ready to make that next jump to graded stakes company. She’ll need to step up, but she’s certainly training like she’ll move forward and we’ll go from there.”

Amberglen, out of the Sea The Stars mare Sea Empress, was purchased for $430,301 from Book 2 of the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale. Her second dam, the Exceed And Excel mare Tayma, is a full-sister to Group 2-winner Buratino, who was twice Group 1-placed.

Five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown will have two chances in Honfleur [post 1, Jose Ortiz] and Deep Learning [post 8, Flavien Prat] to secure a record-extending eighth Lake George win.

The eight-time leading trainer at Saratoga enjoyed past success in this event with Mrs McDougal [2015], Ancient Secret [2016], Regal Glory [2019], Selflessly [2020], Technical Analysis [2021], Dolce Zel [2022] and Surge Capacity [2023].

Klaravich Stables’ Deep Learning was last seen winning the Listed Chelsey Flower in November at Aqueduct Racetrack. The Cairo Prince dark bay was a debut winner here last August before shipping north to land a 1 3/4-length fifth in the Grade 1 Natalma at Woodbine. She entered the Chelsey Flower from a closing second to Ground Support in the Grade 2 Miss Grillo in October at Belmont at the Big A.

Deep Learning has worked extensively over the Oklahoma dirt training track, including a half-mile breeze in 49 flat July 25.

Bred in Kentucky by Tony Dardis, Dell Ridge Farm, Ken Donworth and Desmond Ryan, Deep Learning, a $325,000 OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, is out of the Union Rags mare Dovima, a half-sister to multiple graded stakes-winner Secret Gypsy.

Honfleur, campaigned by Bradley Thoroughbreds, Titletown Racing Stables, Mike Carter, Cambron Equine, and Laura Leigh Stable, graduated at fifth asking in a 1 1/16-mile maiden route versus elders on April 30 over firm Churchill turf that earned a 76 Beyer. She enters from a three-length fifth in a one-mile optional-claimer on June 4 at Churchill.

Honfleur is out of the winning Lea mare Coworth Park, a half-sister to 2019 Grade 3 Sunland Park Derby-winner Cutting Humor, who ran 10th in that year’s Grade 1 Kentucky Derby.

A robust field includes a talented pair of Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher in stakes-placed Code [post 7, Dylan Davis] and the multiple graded stakes-placed Time to Dream [post 4, Edgard Zayas], who won the Listed P.G. Johnson here last summer; Star Actress [post 2, Junior Alvarado], who is Grade 1-placed on dirt and seeking her first turf win in her second attempt for Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott; and stakes-placed Candy Moonshine [post 3, Jaime Rodriguez] for trainer Michael Gorham.

Answered Prayers and Hidden Rose are entered for the main-track only.

The Lake George is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s 12-race program, which also features the Grade 2, $500,000 Jim Dandy presented by Mohegan Sun in Race 10 and the Grade 2, $250,000 Saratoga Special in Race 6. First post is 12:30 p.m. Eastern.  

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