Luna Louska wires for fourth consecutive victory. (Adam Coglianese/NYRA)
NYRA Press Office
OZONE PARK, N.Y. – JR Ranch, Marquee Bloodstock and High Step Racing’s Luna Louska defeated elders to secure her fourth consecutive front-running win in Saturday’s $150,000 Floral Park, a six-furlong outer turf sprint for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up, at Belmont at the Big A.
Trained by Gustavo Delgado, the Complexity bay was the lone sophomore in the field, but she showed that was no problem with a pacesetting score under Kendrick Carmouche. After two misfires on dirt to begin her career, Luna Louska graduated third-out in May sprinting five furlongs over the Gulfstream Park synthetic.
Luna Louska exited her graduation to wire a turf sprint optional claimer in June at Gulfstream ahead of a last-out 2 3/4-length pacesetting score versus elders in the Clarksville Handicap on July 4 at Horseshoe Indianapolis – both at five furlongs.
On Saturday, the speedy filly capitalized in her highly anticipated return after having to scratch from the Listed Galway in August at Saratoga Race Course due to a superficial scrape on her hip sustained while shipping up to the Spa.
“This is why we do it – to get a good one like this makes it worth the wait,” said Ramiro Restrepo, of Marquee Bloodstock. “Even her two initial starts [on dirt] she tried to flash speed and when we switched her over to synthetic and turf, that’s been her game. She likes to go to the front. I’m really relieved she got the extra furlong. You never know until they do it. We knew five furlongs was her bag up until now.
“Sometimes, the whole plan comes together, and it did so today. The good thing is that every time we’ve stepped her up the ladder, she’s been there for us,” added Restrepo.
Luna Louska exited post 1 sharply and was hustled to the front to take command while stalked by Risk Threshold with the Miguel Clement-trained trio of Bandonarun, the slow-starting Love Appeals and Dontlookbackatall not far behind through an opening quarter-mile in 21.44 seconds over the firm turf.
“She was moving good. I didn’t take it away from her, I just let her rock and roll. Around the turn, I slowed her down a little because she was just gliding. I mean, she wasn’t even touching the grass,” said Carmouche, who won four races on the 11-race card.
Luna Louska extended her advantage over Risk Threshold slightly into the turn and Love Appeals settled into a ground-saving third position along the rail under Ricardo Santana, Jr. At the top of the lane, Luna Louska held her largest lead yet with a 2 1/2-length cushion through the half-mile in 43.22, but Love Appeals tipped out from the rail and emerged as the main danger.
Love Appeals had her sights set on the frontrunner at the stretch call with five furlongs down in 55.36 and still 2 1/2 lengths to make up, but Luna Louska responded well to hold sway for a 1 3/4-length victory in a final time of 1:08.13.
“When she turned at the top of the lane, she rebroke again and I was like, ‘well, I don’t hear nobody coming,’” said Carmouche, aboard for the first time in the afternoon. “Seemed like she put them away right away. Wow. Speedy – real speedy.”
Mrs. Gambolini closed for third three lengths back, with Quiet Confidence completing the superfecta. Dontlookbackatall, Patricia Ann, Rileys Redemption, Risk Threshold and Bandonarun rounded out the order of finish.
Main track-only entrant All Class was scratched.
“It’s been a long summer for her, but I think it was worth the wait,” said Gustavo Delgado, Jr., son of and assistant to Delgado. “The only thing I was concerned about was shipping for the first time to Aqueduct, but I was watching the [pre-race] on television, and she seemed very relaxed.
“After that, it was seeing how the race developed and that was fun to watch – she’s fast, and she keeps going,” Delgado, Jr. added.
Delgado, Jr. indicated the connections will discuss a variety of potential next races. A local turf sprint option for sophomore fillies is the Grade 3 Glen Cove on October 11.
Santana, Jr. said the Clement-trained Love Appeals was game in defeat off a one-length score in the Incredible Revenge on August 3 at Monmouth Park.
“She ran a good race. She was second best. She broke good, the other one was just too fast,” Santana Jr. said.
That’s four wins in a row for LUNA LOUSKA, winner of the Floral Park Stakes under @KendrickCarmou1 for trainer Gustavo Delgado. pic.twitter.com/K5v6DRELrj
— NYRA () (@TheNYRA) September 13, 2025
Luna Louska, a $140,000 Keeneland September Yearling Sale purchase is out of the Grade 1-placed Latent Heat mare Jamaican Smoke. Her third dam Rose Ransom – a half-sister to dual Grade 1-winner Stop Traffic – produced Shekky Shebaz, who captured the Spa’s 2019 Lucky Coin en route to a third-place finish in that year’s Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf Sprint at Santa Anita Park
Luna Louska banked $82,500 in victory while improving her record to 6-4-0-0 and returning $11.94 for a $2 win bet.
Live racing resumes Sunday at Belmont at the Big A with a nine-race card, featuring the Listed Athenia in Race 4. First post is 1:10 p.m. Eastern.
