SV Photography
By Sarah Mace
Happy Face Racing Stable’s Love That Jazz (Not for Love) added a second stakes victory to his resume Monday when he wired the $50,000 Ontario County Stakes for New York-bred sophomores at Finger Lakes Gaming and Racetrack.
Love That Jazz broke his maiden in style for trainer Steve Asmussen last September by winning the Aspirant Stakes in his fourth career start, also on the front end, at the same six-furlong trip as the Ontario County. After six races at two, the bay ridgling moved to the care of trainer Charlton Baker for 2016. A game winner of a six-furlong allowance race at Belmont in his sophomore debut on May 16, he was looking for a second straight victory for his new barn.
Third choice in the field of six at odds of 9-2 with Luis Perez in the irons for the first time, Love That Jazz got right down to business shortly after the bell from his rail post, scooting inside favorite Championofthenile, who got away first, to lead by a half-length through a quarter in 21.82 and half in 44.56.
Shaking off his pursuit in the stretch and widening his advantage, Love That Jazz drove to the wire, while keeping challengers at bay. He won by a length in a final time of 1:10.42. Saratoga Giro, who closed from midpack, and Championofthenile finished heads apart in second and third, followed across the line by D’funnything, who ran up on the pace, Terian and Freud’s Affair. [VIDEO]
Bred by Saratoga Glenn Farm in Schuylerville, Love That Jazz is one of five winners, and the most recent reported foal, from six foals to start out of Val’s Jazz, a multiple stakes-placed winner bred in Texas who earned over $145,000.
The producer of two other stakes winners and six-figure earners, Grand Refer (Grand Slam) and Boowoogeemalia (El Corredor), Val’s Jazz was purchased by Saratoga Glen for just $5,000 at the 2006 Keeneland November sale.
In eight starts Love That Jazz has earned $183,208 from a pair of stakes victories, his allowance win, two seconds and a third.
