Love Conquers seeks fourth straight turf victory in Tortugas

Monarch Stables’ Love Conquers is ready to take to the Gulfstream Park grass course where he has really taken to the turf this year. A winner of one of his first five starts on dirt to open his career, the 3-year-old gelding is scheduled to seek his fourth straight turf victory in Saturday’s $75,000 Tortugas Stakes.

“After we ran him a few times on dirt, I said, ‘Let’s try him on turf. He might be worth more,” trainer Ron Spatz said. “I turned out to be right for once.”

The 3-year-old gelded son of Salute the Sarge, an $8,000 purchase at the 2016 OBS June sale, broke his maiden in the third career start, winning a $25,000 maiden claiming race at Gulfstream in December.

After a pair of subsequent off-the-board finishes, Love Conquers was sent to the turf course for the first time and showed marked improvement while losing by a neck in a $16,000 claiming race. He came back to finish a close third before breaking through with a front-running 2 ¼-length victory for a $30,000 claiming tag in May.

“He was a little inconsistent [on dirt]. He’s much more consistent going two turns on turf. He hasn’t been off the board yet,” Spatz said. “He was an inexpensive June sale purchase and a Louisiana-bred to boot, so we decided to start him out where he could win.”

Love Conquers lost a photo finish for the win in an off-the-turf optional claiming allowance next out, before capturing back-to-back turf  victories, including a neck win following a stalking trip Aug. 5.

While pleased with his gelding’s turf form, Spatz wasn’t totally taken by surprise by Love Conquers’ marked improvement on grass.

“He has just a big old turf foot, No. 1. No 2, I have a little filly in the barn named August Lily and she’s by Salute the Sarge. I’ve never even run her on dirt. She looked turf all the way,” the veteran South Florida trainer said about his decision to try the gelding on turf.

Love Conquers is scheduled to face eight rivals in the Tortugas, a 7 ½-furlong stakes for 3-year-olds on turf. Miguel Vasquez, who has been aboard for all of Love Conquers’ turf starts, has the return call.

“I’m a little bit concerned about running him back in two weeks in this heat,” Spatz said. “He’s been running effectively once a month, but he’s a big stout horse. I think he’ll handle it OK.’

Durocher, who has also made huge strides forward after switching to turf, is scheduled to seek his fifth win in six starts. Owned by Sterling Racing, John Herzberg and Michelle Allan, the Texas-bred colt will be making his stakes debut Saturday after winning an optional claiming allowance. Trainer Harry Benson has awarded the return mount to Edgard Zayas.

Midwest Thoroughbreds’ Kroy also is set to try stakes company off a sharp 7 ½-length score in a Florida-bred optional claiming allowance July 29. Emisael Jaramillo has the return mount aboard the Armando De la cerda-trained son of The Factor.

The Saffie Joseph Jr.-trained Racings My Game, third behind Love Conquers last time out, and Porter Street, a recent optional claiming allowance winner, are among the leading contenders in a field that includes He’s the One, Diddley, Coleman Rocky and Prince Tito.