The roar of excitement on Gulfstream Park’s turf came early Saturday as Lennilu, the promising young filly, made a bold statement with a commanding performance in the $75,000 Leinster Hollywood Beach Stakes. Owned by a powerhouse group including Amy Dunne, Caitlin Dunne, Brenda Miley, Jean Wilkinson, Hoffman Family Racing LLC, Tranquility Lake Farms LLC, Maury Hamilton, and Christopher Harrington, Lennilu showcased poise, power, and a maturity beyond her two years.
Returning to turf after a nail-biting nose victory in the Desert Vixen Stakes over six furlongs on Gulfstream’s main track Sept. 6, Lennilu displayed her trademark professionalism in the five-furlong sprint for 2-year-olds.
“She’s a machine,” said trainer Patrick Biancone, who watched his filly overpower the boys in front of a delighted crowd.
Sent off as the 9-5 second choice in betting, Lennilu broke alertly under jockey Jonathan Ocasio but initially ceded the lead to Monster, the 3-2 favorite guided by Edgard Zayas. Monster set blistering early fractions of 20.74 and 43.07 seconds for the first half mile, but Lennilu, unfazed, surged past with authority to win by 1 ¾ lengths.
“She was cruising. The other horse is fast, so I told Jonathan to let him go. I didn’t think she would catch him so easily,” Biancone said. “She’s a lovely filly.”
Ocasio, who has guided Lennilu in all three of her stakes wins, praised her temperament and responsiveness: “We were expecting exactly these results. She was very relaxed the whole way. She broke excellently and we just sat behind the speed. At the three-eighths pole, I asked her, and she responded beautifully.”
The Princess Bro, making a strong impression after her debut win, closed late to finish second, 1 ½ lengths ahead of Monster. Lennilu completed the five-furlong turf sprint in 54.97 seconds over firm ground.
Biancone is already plotting her next big challenge. “She has a good month until the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf Sprint at Del Mar. We’ll fly her there by October 23 and be ready,” he said.
Lennilu’s campaign has been nothing short of impressive. After breaking her maiden over a sloppy Keeneland track in April, she transitioned to turf with a 3 ¾-length front-running win in the Royal Palm Juvenile Fillies at Gulfstream in May, securing a fees-paid berth into a Royal Ascot stakes race. She later finished third in the Queen Mary (G2) at Ascot behind Aidan O’Brien-trained True Love, who clinched a Group 1 in Newmarket on the same day.
“In England today, the filly who beat her won a Group 1,” Biancone added. “She’s the best 2-year-old in Europe. This sets Lennilu up perfectly for Del Mar.”
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