OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Myriad circumstances have led to Love Appeals and Dontlookbackatall having limited campaigns so far in 2025. Thus, the two 5-year-old mares – both trained by Miguel Clement – come into Saturday’s $150,000 Floral Park Stakes at Aqueduct fresh and seemingly ready to make up for lost time.
The Floral Park, scheduled for six furlongs on turf, is the first of 45 stakes to be run at the Belmont at the Big A fall meeting.
Some infirmities and being stuck in quarantine due to no fault of their own, have resulted in Love Appeals making just two starts and Dontlookbackatall three this season. Love Appeals, coming off a victory in the Incredible Revenge Stakes at Monmouth Park in August, just missed by a head to Secret Money in the Floral Park last year before winning the Autumn Days, another turf sprint held at Aqueduct in the fall.
Love Appeals, who made eight starts last year, finished a non-threatening fourth as the favorite in the License Fee Stakes here in May, her first start off a five-month layoff.
“To be fair, she might have needed her first race off a layoff, then she was a victim of stakes coming off the grass or being stuck in quarantine,” Clement said. “She’s been sitting on go for a while.”
Love Appeals will break from post 2 under Ricardo Santana Jr.
Dontlookbackatalll, a no-show in the License Fee, ran twice in two weeks last month, finishing third in the Sweet Briar Too Stakes at Woodbine on Aug. 2 and then second to top female turf sprinter Future Is Now in the Smart and Fancy at Saratoga on Aug. 15.
“Manny [Franco] rode a brilliant race last time,” Clement said. “She’s been a bit slow to get to her form this year. I thought she ran a great race last time, it took a very good filly to beat us. She’s been training forwardly, I’m looking forward to running her.”
Franco rides Dontlookbackatall from post 3.
Clement has a third horse in the Floral Park, Bandonarun, who looks to improve on her fifth-place finish in the Andy Guest Stakes at Colonial Downs on Aug. 9. Clement said that Bandonarun did not travel well from New York to Virginia for her last start and he now looks forward to running her just eight miles away from her Belmont Park base.
Luna Louska is likely the horse to catch under Kendrick Carmouche though she will be stretching out from five to six furlongs while making her first start off a 10-week layoff. Gustavo Delgado Jr., assistant to his father, Gustavo Delgado, said Luna Louska had a hip wound after shipping from Kentucky to Saratoga, which forced her to scratch from the Galway Stakes at Saratoga on Aug. 7.
“Thankfully, that hasn’t interfered with her training at all and she’s remained right on schedule,” the younger Delgado said. “This Saturday’s race feels like the best option for her, I’m really excited to see her run.”
Delgado said the way Luna Louska has galloped out in her workouts over a deep Oklahoma training track in Saratoga leads him to believe that Luna Louska, the lone 3-year-old filly in the field, can be successful stretching out to six furlongs.
Mrs. Gambolini, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., was a late-running second to Hollywood Walk in the Andy Guest at Colonial. Hollywood Walk came back to win an overnight handicap at Colonial on Aug. 30.
Risk Threshold, who set the pace before fading to fourth in the Smart and Fancy, Quiet Confidence, Riley’s Redemption – three deep on the also-eligible list in Saturday’s Sensible Lady at Laurel Park – and Patricia Ann complete the field.
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