Lovely Maria (USA)
April 23, 2012 – Living
Majesticperfection (USA) x Thundercup (USA), by Thunder Gulch (USA)
Family 5-g
April 23, 2012 – Living
Majesticperfection (USA) x Thundercup (USA), by Thunder Gulch (USA)
Family 5-g
Lovely Maria came to hand in the spring of her 3-year-old season, scoring back-to-back Grade 1 wins in the Ashland Stakes and Kentucky Oaks. She was unable to win in three starts after her Oaks score, dropping her from championship contention, and was sold to Japanese interests at the conclusion of her racing career.
Race record
11 starts, 4 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds, US$1,003,000
2015:
Assessments
Rated at 116 pounds for her performance in the Kentucky Oaks on the 2015 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, 18 pounds below overall highweight American Pharoah (who earned his rating in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, USA-G1) and 7 pounds below the top-rated female on dirt, Beholder (who earned that assessment in the TVG Pacific Classic, USA-G1), but tied with American champion 3-year-old filly Stellar Wind for best among 3-year-old fillies on dirt.
As an individual
A bay mare, Lovely Maria could be placed as her jockey desired but did her best racing when stalking the pace.
As a producer
As of May 2022, Lovely Maria has produced one named foal of racing age that has yet to win.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Lovely Maria was bred by Olin Gentry and Thomas Gaines. After failing to make her reserve on a US$5,000 bid at the 2012 Keeneland November mixed sale, she was purchased privately by Brereton Jones for US$10,000. She was trained by Larry Jones and was ridden to her Kentucky Oaks score by her regular jockey, Kerwin “Boo Boo” Clark. Following her racing career, Lovely Maria was purchased privately by Shadai Farm and was exported to Japan.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 2010 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (USA-G1) winner Majesticperfection (by Harlan’s Holiday), Lovely Maria is inbred 5x4 to 1980 English and Irish champion 2-year-old male Storm Bird. She is out of unraced Thundercup, a half sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Rare Blend (by Bates Motel), in turn the dam of Grade 3 winner Rare Gift (by Unbridled’s Song) and the stakes-winning hurdler History Boy (by Grand Slam). Thundercup is also a half sister to Gold Chalice (by Jolie’s Halo), whose son Senor B. (by Untuttable) is a two-time champion in the Dominican Republic), and to Buttercup’s Song (by Unbridled’s Song), dam of Grade 2 winner Flatlined (by Flatter) and multiple restricted stakes winner Pound for Pound (by Redding Colliery).
Thundercup is out of the Baldski mare Buttercup, a full sister to Norwegian champion juvenile Missy Baldski (dam of Australian listed stakes winner Gentle Wind, by Zip Home), Norsk Kriterium (NOR-G1) winner Butterfly Rose, and multiple listed stakes winner Stacie’s Toy. The last-named mare is the second dam of three stakes winners including juvenile Grade 2 winner Worstcasescenario.
Buttercup and her sisters are out of Butter Fat, a stakes-placed daughter of two-time French champion sire Prince Taj. Produced from the winner Royal Butterfly (by 1954 Arlington Futurity winner Royal Note, by Spy Song), Butter Fat is a full sister to Grade 2 winner Wichita Oil and a half sister to Regalness (by Prove It), dam of the minor stakes winner Regal Proof (by Dumpty Humpty). Royal Butterfly, in turn, is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner John Doe (by To Market) and is out of the unraced Bimelech mare Butterfly, whose half sister Lump Sugar (by Bull Lea) is the dam of 1958 Arlington Futurity and Washington Park Futurity winner Restless Wind (by Windy City II).
Books and media
Keeneland’s footage of Lovely Maria’s victory in the 2015 Ashland Stakes can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0sWl71kFhc.
Fun facts
Photo credit
Photo taken by Jessica Morgan during a pre-Kentucky Oaks workout with Larry Jones up. Used by permission.
Last updated: May 10, 2022
Race record
11 starts, 4 wins, 3 seconds, 0 thirds, US$1,003,000
2015:
- Won Central Bank Ashland Stakes (USA-G1, 8.5FD, Keeneland)
- Won Longines Kentucky Oaks (USA-G1, 9FD, Churchill Downs)
- 2nd Rachel Alexandra Stakes (USA-G2, 8.5FD, Fair Grounds)
Assessments
Rated at 116 pounds for her performance in the Kentucky Oaks on the 2015 World’s Best Racehorse Rankings, 18 pounds below overall highweight American Pharoah (who earned his rating in the Breeders’ Cup Classic, USA-G1) and 7 pounds below the top-rated female on dirt, Beholder (who earned that assessment in the TVG Pacific Classic, USA-G1), but tied with American champion 3-year-old filly Stellar Wind for best among 3-year-old fillies on dirt.
As an individual
A bay mare, Lovely Maria could be placed as her jockey desired but did her best racing when stalking the pace.
As a producer
As of May 2022, Lovely Maria has produced one named foal of racing age that has yet to win.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Lovely Maria was bred by Olin Gentry and Thomas Gaines. After failing to make her reserve on a US$5,000 bid at the 2012 Keeneland November mixed sale, she was purchased privately by Brereton Jones for US$10,000. She was trained by Larry Jones and was ridden to her Kentucky Oaks score by her regular jockey, Kerwin “Boo Boo” Clark. Following her racing career, Lovely Maria was purchased privately by Shadai Farm and was exported to Japan.
Pedigree notes
Sired by 2010 Alfred G. Vanderbilt Handicap (USA-G1) winner Majesticperfection (by Harlan’s Holiday), Lovely Maria is inbred 5x4 to 1980 English and Irish champion 2-year-old male Storm Bird. She is out of unraced Thundercup, a half sister to multiple Grade 3 winner Rare Blend (by Bates Motel), in turn the dam of Grade 3 winner Rare Gift (by Unbridled’s Song) and the stakes-winning hurdler History Boy (by Grand Slam). Thundercup is also a half sister to Gold Chalice (by Jolie’s Halo), whose son Senor B. (by Untuttable) is a two-time champion in the Dominican Republic), and to Buttercup’s Song (by Unbridled’s Song), dam of Grade 2 winner Flatlined (by Flatter) and multiple restricted stakes winner Pound for Pound (by Redding Colliery).
Thundercup is out of the Baldski mare Buttercup, a full sister to Norwegian champion juvenile Missy Baldski (dam of Australian listed stakes winner Gentle Wind, by Zip Home), Norsk Kriterium (NOR-G1) winner Butterfly Rose, and multiple listed stakes winner Stacie’s Toy. The last-named mare is the second dam of three stakes winners including juvenile Grade 2 winner Worstcasescenario.
Buttercup and her sisters are out of Butter Fat, a stakes-placed daughter of two-time French champion sire Prince Taj. Produced from the winner Royal Butterfly (by 1954 Arlington Futurity winner Royal Note, by Spy Song), Butter Fat is a full sister to Grade 2 winner Wichita Oil and a half sister to Regalness (by Prove It), dam of the minor stakes winner Regal Proof (by Dumpty Humpty). Royal Butterfly, in turn, is a half sister to juvenile stakes winner John Doe (by To Market) and is out of the unraced Bimelech mare Butterfly, whose half sister Lump Sugar (by Bull Lea) is the dam of 1958 Arlington Futurity and Washington Park Futurity winner Restless Wind (by Windy City II).
Books and media
Keeneland’s footage of Lovely Maria’s victory in the 2015 Ashland Stakes can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0sWl71kFhc.
Fun facts
- Lovely Maria was named after a disabled girl whose godmother was 1979 Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa, now canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. The filly was the seventh horse that Brereton Jones named on the request or approval of staff of the Sea View Hotel in Bal Harbour. Florida, where Jones and his wife Libby frequently stayed; six of the seven became stakes winners.
- By winning the Ashland Stakes, Lovely Maria became the first Grade 1 winner for veteran jockey Kerwin Clark, who had been riding for 40-odd years. Clark retired from the saddle in 2020 having won 3,152 races.
- Lovely Maria was the third Kentucky Oaks winner for the combination of owner Brereton Jones and trainer Larry Jones, who had previously won the filly Classic with Proud Spell (2008) and Believe You Can (2012).
Photo credit
Photo taken by Jessica Morgan during a pre-Kentucky Oaks workout with Larry Jones up. Used by permission.
Last updated: May 10, 2022