Luna Louska returns in $150K Floral Park

JR Ranch, Marquee Bloodstock and High Step Racing’s Luna Louska brings a three-race win streak into Saturday’s $150,000 Floral Park, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up to kick off the stakes action at the Belmont at the Big A fall meet.

The fall meet, which launches on Thursday, September 11 with an eight-race card that begins at 1:10 p.m. Eastern, continues through Sunday, November 2, including four Grade 1s and five Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” qualifiers. The 32-day meet will offer a total of 45 stakes worth $9.45 million in total purses. 

Luna Louska [post 1, Kendrick Carmouche, 122 pounds] arrives on a scintillating frontrunning win streak, dating to a third-out graduation in May over the Gulfstream Park synthetic. The 3-year-old Complexity bay followed with a three-length score in her turf debut in June at the Hallandale Beach oval, zipping through splits of 20.33 seconds and 42.82 over the firm footing while stopping the clock in 54.77 to best next-out winner Coco Abarrio.

Luna Louska enters from a 2 3/4-length score versus elders in her stakes debut in the five-furlong Clarksville Handicap on July 4 at Horseshoe Indianapolis. There, the speedy filly reached the half-mile in 43.03 and stayed on strong to the wire to stop the clock in a final time of 54.62 and register a career-best 88 Beyer Speed Figure. Her final time was close to the course record of 54.39 set one race later by multiple stakes-winner Coppola in the William Garrett Handicap.

Luna Louska is trained by Gustavo Delgado, conditioner of 2023 Kentucky Derby-winner Mage. His son and assistant, Gustavo Delgado, Jr., played a key role in selecting Mage and was also a co-owner of the horse through his group OGMA Investments.

“She wasn't getting beat that day,” said Delgado, Jr. of Luna Louska's Clarksville Handicap score. “She is really fast, and she proved it coming out of the gate like a rocket. She was very close to the track record.”

Luna Louska makes her highly anticipated return after having to scratch from the Listed Galway in August at Saratoga Race Course due to a superficial scrape on her hip according to Delgado, Jr.

“Unfortunately, on the trip from Kentucky to Saratoga in the van she had a minor scratch around her hip, but it was not something the veterinarians felt comfortable with, so we had to scratch her,” Delgado, Jr. said. “The wound is completely healed but that didn't affect her around her legs or her condition overall, so she's been training the whole summer here in Saratoga and we're excited to see her run.”

Luna Louska has worked steadily throughout the summer over the Spa’s Oklahoma dirt training track, including a half-mile in 49.29 on September 6. Delgado, Jr. indicated his sophomore filly, who again faces elders, has flourished.

“She's been putting in some nice breezes here,” Delgado, Jr. said. “She's a very strong filly and she's been growing the whole summer. You can see when you tie her in the girth and when you put the saddle on - you can see she's been growing and she's still growing.

“She's a big filly, she's full of muscle,” Delgado, Jr. added. “She has the body of a nice, strong filly and right now she's fun to watch because she also has this action where she wants to go all the time. She's pretty aggressive. It's a challenge for the exercise rider to keep her in a good tempo in the gallops in the mornings, but other than that she's pretty easy to handle.”

While Delgado, Jr. said he would have preferred the 5 1/2-furlong distance of the Galway, he believes Luna Louska gives every indication that six furlongs will be within her reach.

“I think she'll handle that very well,” Delgado, Jr. said. “We've been training on a very deep track on the Oklahoma, and she's been putting in very nice gallop outs. I think it's not a concern - she's fresh and she needs to run. You can tell from the gallop outs she's going to be fine, but you never know until you race them.

“She's been doing well here during the summer and I'm excited to see her run,” he added. “It's been a while but she's keeping good condition and she's ready to go.”

The $140,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Grade 1-placed Latent Heat mare Jamaican Smoke. Her third dam Rose Ransom – a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winner Stop Traffic – produced Shekky Shebaz, who captured the Spa’s 2019 Lucky Coin en route to a third-place finish in that year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita.

Trainer Miguel Clement, who finished a strong fourth at the Spa summer meet with 18 wins, will have a trio of contenders in graded stakes-winner Dontlookbackatall [post 3, Manny Franco, 125 pounds], multiple stakes-winner Love Appeals [post 2, Ricardo Santana, Jr., 125 pounds] and stakes-placed Bandonarun [post 7, Romero Maragh, 123 pounds].

West Point Thoroughbreds, Scarlet Oak Racing and Titletown Racing Stables’ Pennsylvania-bred Dontlookbackatall made the grade last summer at the Spa with a neck score in the Grade 3 Caress to cap a three-race win streak that included wins in the local Listed License Fee and state-bred Power By Far at Parx.

The 5-year-old Peace and Justice mare, who seeks her first win since the Caress, enters from a 1 1/2-length second to well-regarded Future Is Now in the Listed Smart and Fancy on August 15 at Saratoga.

The $150,000 OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training purchase, out of the winning Arch mare Celtic Arch, is a half-sister to graded stakes-placed En Wye Cee. She has banked $695,878 through a 19-6-7-0 ledger.

Moyglare Stud Farm’s Kentucky homebred Love Appeals was a head second to Secret Money in this event last year.

Her two wins over course and distance include a 1 1/4-length score in the Autumn Days in November and an optional-claiming win in April 2023. The 5-year-old Speightstown mare enters from a stalking one-length triumph to defend her title in the about 5 1/2-furlong Incredible Revenge on August 3 at Monmouth Park.

Love Appeals is out of the Medaglia d’Oro mare Gioia Stella, who is a half-sister to Grade 1-winner Nereid and the Grade 1-placed Sea Queen. She has banked $415,165 via a consistent 16-6-1-4 record.

Cheyenne Stable’s Maryland-bred Bandonarun seeks her first win since taking an optional-claimer in February over the Gulfstream Park synthetic. She followed with a 1 1/2-length third in the Captiva Island over five furlongs of firm footing, but has been off-the-board in two starts since which includes a last-out fifth in the Andy Guest on August 9 at Colonial Downs.

The 5-year-old Uncle Lino bay, out of the City Zip mare Sweet City Band, is a half-sister to stakes-placed Pikachu Princess. Her third dam is Grade 3-winner Good Game.

Also entered are the Saffie Joseph, Jr.-trained Mrs. Gambolini [post 5, Micah Husbands, 123 pounds], who was a three-quarter-length second to next-out winner Hollywood Walk in the Andy Guest; stakes-placed Rileys Redemption [post 8, Ruben Silvera, 123 pounds] for trainer Mike Maker; stakes-placed Risk Threshold [post 4, Junior Alvarado, 123 pounds], a two-time winner over course and distance for five-time Eclipse Award-winning trainer Chad Brown; and allowance-winners Quiet Confidence [post 6, Eric Cancel, 121 pounds] for conditioner James Ryerson and Patricia Ann [post 9, Javier Castellano, 123 pounds], who makes her turf and stakes debut for trainer Carlos Martin. All Class is entered for the main-track only.

The Floral Park is slated as Race 10 on Saturday’s 11-race card. First post is 1:10 p.m.

America’s Day at the Races will present live coverage and analysis of the Belmont at the Big A fall meet on the networks of FOX Sports. For the broadcast schedule and channel finder, visit https://www.nyra.com/aqueduct/racing/tv-schedule/.

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