'Hard Not to Love' this one-eyed half-sister to Wonder Gadot

Two years after Patch made his underdog run to the Kentucky Derby, another horse missing its left eye, Hard Not to Love, showed some potential on debut Saturday looking toward her home country's biggest race.

The 3-year-old half-sister to 2018 Queen’s Plate winner Wonder Gadot made a winning debut in the opening at Santa Anita Park as the daughter of Hard Spun, out of the mare Loving Vindication, led every step of the way, completing the six-furlong maiden special weight event in 1:09.58.

Bred in Ontario like her Sibling, Hard Not to Love is also eligible for the Canadian Triple Crown series, which kicks off June 29 with the Queen's Plate.

XBTV’s Zoe Cadman reported that an accident while the filly was being broken resulted in the removal of the eye.

Hard Not to Love broke a step slow from post three and went straight to the lead between horses. She left the gate the 3-1 the third choice in the five-horse field. With jockey Tiago Pereria aboard, Hard Not to Love set fractions of 21.96 and 44.71 before pulling away to win by three lengths

Flat Out Joy and Over Emphasize ran second and third throughout.

John Shirreffs trains Hard Not to Love for Mercedes Stables LLC, Scott Dilworth, David Ingordo, Dorothy Ingordo and F. Steve Mooney. The winner’s share of the purse gave her $33,000 to kick off her career. 

Wonder Gadot, of course, returned to Canada to compete in the first two legs of the Canadian Triple Crown – the Queen’s Plate and Prince of Wales – and beat male rivals both times. She has earned nearly $1.5 million and is in training at Oaklawn Park for a 4-year-old campaign.