7.21.2002 Photo By: Benoit & Associates   Jockey Patrick Valenzuela (above) guided John Paul Reddam's Elloluv to a three-length victory on Jan. 20 in the Santa Ynez Stakes (GII) at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.

Elloluv Makes Short Work Of A Short Field In Santa Ynez
By, John Gaver III

(January 20, 2003) - J. P. Reddam's Elloluv made her three-year-old debut a winning one, making short work of a short field in the $150,000 Santa Ynez Stakes (GII) at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif. on Jan. 20.

Ridden by jockey Patrick Valenzuela, Elloluv, a bay daughter of Gilded Time, stalked the pace for the first half-mile of the seven-furlong contest, inched clear from Himalayan at the five-sixteenths pole while racing in the three-path and drew clear from Watching You in the lane despite lugging-in a bit and being kept to her task by Valenzuela. She covered seven-eighths of a mile in a sharp 1:23 flat over a "fast" racetrack in Arcadia.

"She drew away in the stretch pretty nice," Valenzuela said. "She was running relatively easy the whole way down the backside. When the two horse (Puxa Saco) got through on the rail, I was a little concerned that she might shake away from us, so I edged my filly up next to Corey (Nakatani) on Himalayan and the last quarter mile I just asked her and she took off. I was really happy with the way she finished."

Watching You finished second in a field that was depleted to five runners with the late trainer's scratch of Buttertart. Himalayan, Puxa Saco and No Love Song rounded out the official order of finish. As the second choice in the wagering behind Puxa Saco, Elloluv returned $5.60, $3.30 and $2.10, Watching You returned $3.80 and $2.80; Himalayan paid $3.20 to show.

Elloluv improved her lifetime record to 3-0-1 from four lifetime starts and bolstered her career earnings to $332,000 while winning her second consecutive graded stakes race, as the bay filly scored a 30-1 upset in the Grade I Hollywood Starlet on Dec. 14 at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif.

"She ran great today," said winning trainer Craig Dollase. "We shortened her back up to seven-eighths, but it didn't worry Pat (Valenzuela) or I. She showed that grade one (Hollywood Starlet win) wasn't a fluke. She ran her eyeballs out today."

A $120,000 two-year-old in training purchase last spring at Keeneland, Elloluv has proven to be a worthy investment and has all the makings of being a top-tier contender for the spring classics for three-year-old fillies.

"We'll she how she cools out, I'll talk to Mr. Reddam (owner John Paul Reddam) and then we'll probably go on to the next step (Grade I Las Virgenes on Feb. 9 at one-mile)," Dollase said. "If she stays sound, we've got big plans for her."

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