Tiznow’s 4-year-old daughter Lovely Lil got her first career graded stakes win Nov. 25 in Aqueduct’s Grade 2, $150,000 Go for Wand H. Previously, she won the $75,000 Union Avenue S. Aug. 22 at Saratoga for her initial added money score. Tiznow’s runners have amassed in excess of $4.9 million this year, with 2-time Grade 1 winner Tizway his leading earner in 2011.
Lovely Lil went head-to-head right out of the gate with All Due Respect. The pair were locked right together after six furlongs in 1:10.41, when Lovely Lil began to edge clear. She opened up some length and a half at the furlong marker, then went on to win by 1 1/4-lengths. The final time for the mile on the “good” main track was 1:36.90. Her 92 Beyer Speed Figure is a lifetime best.
“My agent told me the filly had a very big chance,” said rider Cornelio Velasquez, who was aboard for the first time. “Anytime you ride for (trainer) Mike Hushion, you have a very big chance. She went to the lead easy. The other horse (All Due Respect) put on a lot of pressure all the way, but at the top of the stretch I had a lot of horse left.”
“Tactics-wise, I thought everybody might be looking around to see what everybody else was doing,” said Hushion. “I gave Cornelio the option if he wanted to take it. Even the favorite (All Due Respect) stayed off her a little bit down the backside and stayed in a totally different path, so she had a chance to relax. The fractions were very quick, and the final time came up good. She ran the race of her life today.”
Lovely Lil raised her lifetime earnings to $284,890 for owner/breeder Barry K. Schwartz. Her record stands at 5-2-1 from 11 starts. Lovely Lil is a half-sister to two-time stakes winner Sweet Sweet and is out of How About Now, winner of Saratoga’s Grade 2 Schuylerville S.
