Libby Lloyd ready for second career start in G1 Frizette; G3 Matron Preview

Posted On 29 Sep 2026

By Christian Abdo —-

Libby Lloyd ready for second career start in G1 Frizette

ELMONT, N.Y. – Bret Jones’ Libby Lloyd made a strong first impression with a debut win at Saratoga Race Course and looks to build upon the dominant performance in Saturday’s Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette, a one-turn mile for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.

The Frizette is a part of the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Dozen series for the Grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies at Keeneland. The nominated winner of the Frizette will receive a credit of $30,000 toward entry fees, with second and third places receiving credits of $15,000 and $7,500, respectively. The Frizette also offers qualifying points to the top-five finishers on a 10-5-3-2-1 scale towards the Grade 1 Kentucky Oaks at Churchill Downs.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, who took this event in 2017 with Separationofpowers, Libby Lloyd drew off in her lone start by 10 lengths in a six-furlong maiden on August 15 at the Spa.

There, the Into Mischief bay took early command through a quarter-mile in 22.37 seconds over the fast dirt, extending her lead at each point of call to prove much-the-best in a final time of 1:10.80. The performance earned a co-field best 78 Beyer Speed Figure.

“We were hopeful. She trained quite well and we were hopeful that she would win, I’ll tell you that,” Brown said. “The way she did it, we were more than pleased with that.”

Libby Lloyd [post 4, Flavien Prat] has breezed back five times, most recently covering a half-mile in 47.65 in her first ever work over the Belmont Park main track.

“She looks good,” Brown said. “I got her to Belmont a little bit earlier because my gut told me to get her a work over this track. That filly excelled on the main track at Saratoga in her training, not as much on the training track, so when they closed the main track, I felt keeping her on a bigger track is better for her to train. I brought her to the main track at Belmont, and she breezed beautifully. I was really pleased with it.”

Bred by the Estate of Brereton C. Jones, Libby Lloyd is out of the Brown-trained Grade 2-placed Proud Citizen mare Indian Pride – a half-sister to Canada’s 2010 Horse of the Year Biofuel. She is named after owner Bret Jones’ mother, Elizabeth Lloyd Jones, and is a half-sister to Grade 1-placed stakes-winner Publisher.

Winning Move Stable, Sabby Racing, IEE Racing, Sanford Robbins and Silverwood Stables’ New York-bred Velora [post 7, Manny Franco] is a perfect 2-for-2 and the lone stakes winner in the field.

Trained by Linda Rice, Velora tries open company off a 2 1/4-length score in the six-furlong state-bred Seeking the Ante on September 4 at Saratoga. There, the Yaupon dark bay stalked in a close second position under Jose Ortiz through the half-mile in 46.13, edging clear under a drive to defeat stakes-placed Prime Aurora in a final time of 1:10.56.

The performance earned a career and co-field best 78 Beyer, improving from a debut 64 when defeating state-bred maidens by 4 3/4 lengths over that same course and distance.

Bred by Vineyard Racing, Velora, a $300,000 purchase at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the winning Scat Daddy mare Scadadle – a half-sister to stakes-winner Zipp On By. Her third dam, Secret Soul Mate, is a half-sister to Grade 1-winning millionaire Vision and Verse and Grade 1-placed Distorted Legacy.

CJ Thoroughbreds and breeder John Ropes’ Revenge of the Sis [post 1, Edgard Zayas] debuted with a third in the one-mile Sorority at Monmouth Park. Trained by George Weaver, the Girvin dark bay rallied from 10 lengths back in last-of-9 after a slow start to an eventual 6 3/4-length defeat to Emphatic, who is undefeated and nominated to the Grade 1 Alcibiades at Keeneland.

Revenge of the Sis, a $500,000 purchase at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale, is a full-sister to the Weaver-trained Grade 1-winner Dorth Vader out of the stakes-placed Yonaguska mare Hardcore Candy.

“I think Dorth Vader had a little more gate speed. Revenge of the Sis is a little slower out of the gate, at least so far, but they’re similar mentally,” Weaver said. “Those are big shoes to fill, so we’ll just see. It’s early days.”

HorseOlogy Racing, Copper Thoroughbreds, John Grossi’s Racing Corp and Reed Margaret Stars Aligned Racing Stable’s Girls Wear Pearls [post 3, Jose Morelos] steps up in class from a third-out graduation in her dirt debut on August 22 at Del Mar. Trained by Jena Antonucci, the Hard Spun bay traveled a prominent trip to capture the 5 1/2-furlong maiden by one length after making two prior starts over the same distance on the Spa’s Mellon turf in July.

“She doesn’t have to gun it, she has sat off the pace and made nice closing runs on the grass,” Antonucci said. “Out in California, that happened organically, so it’ll be up to her to break and relax and learn to stretch.”

Girls Wear Pearls, a $125,000 purchase at the 2025 Keeneland September Yearling Sale out of the winning Graydar mare Pearl Heist, is a half-sister to active dual stakes-placed turf sprinter Beach Heist for trainer Will Walden.

“The biggest reason we had started her on the grass was her half-sister that Will Walden has is a nice little turf filly, and Hard Spuns can go both ways, so it was just a little easier on her getting going on the grass,” said Antonucci. “We weren’t ever totally convinced she had to be a grass horse – everyone was obviously excited with the win and we had a lot of good jockey feedback, so I think she will relax and stretch out just fine.”

R. Lee Lewis and Lexi Lewis’ Rum Twist [post 6, Paco Lopez] graduated third-out by 5 3/4 lengths going seven furlongs on September 5 at Saratoga. Trained by Mark Hennig, the Mandaloun bay earned a co-field best 78 Beyer, improving from a second to Grade 1-placed Angel of Kirk in her July debut there ahead of a fourth to Grade 1-winner Summer Starlet in August.

Rum Twist, a $260,000 purchase from the OBS March Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the winning Congrats mare Rumandice and her second dam, Grade 3-placed Chasethegold, is a half-sister to Grade 1-winners Daredevil and Albertus Maximus.

Rounding out the field are maiden winners She’s a Twelve [post 2, Dylan Davis] for conditioner Kelly Breen and Dotsy [post 5, Kendrick Carmouche] for trainer John Grabowski.

The Frizette is slated as Race 9 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which includes Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne [Juvenile] in Race 8, Grade 2, $250,000 Pilgrim [Juvenile Turf] in Race 11, Grade 2, $250,000 Miss Grillo [Juvenile Fillies Turf] in Race 7, and Grade 3, $200,000 Futurity [Juvenile Turf Sprint] in Race 10. The card is supported by the Grade 3, $200,000 Matron in Race 6. First post is 12:05 p.m. Eastern.

General admission at Belmont Park is available for $7 when purchased in advance and provides fans with access to grandstand seats on most days, all areas within the first floor of the grandstand and the backyard. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/tickets/.

America’s Day at the Races presents daily coverage and analysis of the fall meet at Belmont Park on the networks of FOX Sports. For the complete broadcast schedule, visit https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/tv-schedule/.

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Yolo Train hopes to live up to nice debut in G3 Matron

ELMONT, N.Y. – Michael Dubb’s Yolo Train was much-the-best in her debut and steps up in class for Saturday’s Grade 3, $200,000 Matron, a six-furlong inner turf sprint for juvenile fillies, at Belmont Park.

The Matron is slated as Race 6 on Saturday’s 11-race card, which includes Breeders’ Cup “Win and You’re In” events in the Grade 1, $500,000 Champagne [Juvenile] in Race 8, Grade 2, $250,000 Pilgrim [Juvenile Turf] in Race 11, Grade 2, $250,000 Miss Grillo [Juvenile Fillies Turf] in Race 7, and Grade 3, $200,000 Futurity [Juvenile Turf Sprint] in Race 10. The card is supported by the Grade 1, $500,000 Frizette, a Breeders’ Cup “Dirt Dozen” event in Race 9. First post is 12:05 p.m Eastern.

Trained by five-time Eclipse Award-winner Chad Brown, Yolo Train pressed the pace from the outermost post 9 in a restricted 5 1/2-furlong maiden auction event on August 12 at Saratoga Race Course. After the half-mile in 44.57 seconds, the bay daughter of the Brown-trained Jack Christopher easily took command and cruised to a four-length victory over next-out winner Sea Isle City in a final time of 1:02.49.

Yolo Train prepared for her debut at Monmouth Park, where she remained until her most recent breeze in 48.75 seconds over the Belmont Park main track on September 25.

“She had been training beautifully at Monmouth and my crew down there did a great job. They had liked her works, and I always felt she was turf,” Brown said. “She gave me a turfy feel right off the bat, so I had it in my mind to start her here, and she didn’t disappoint, that’s for sure.”

Yolo Train [post 8, Flavien Prat], a $65,000 purchase from the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training, is out of the winning Street Sense mare Rue de l’Ange and her second dam is Grade 3-winner Georgie’s Angel, who produced dual Grade 1-winner Cave Rock.

Little River Run Racing’s Virginia homebred Royal Companion [post 7, Kendrick Carmouche] is 2-for-2 on turf, including a last-out 2 3/4-length score in the 5 1/2-furlong state-bred Dolley Madison on August 29 at Colonial Downs. Trained by Michael Trombetta, the War of Will bay won over that same course and distance by 4 1/2 lengths over next-out winner Cakey to graduate second out after a fourth on the Colonial main track.

“She’s a nice filly,” Trombetta said. “She does everything we ask of her and seems to be improving at the right time.”

Royal Companion is out of the stakes-placed City Zip mare Not My Money, a half-sister to dual Grade 3-winning millionaire Repo Rocks, who won Belmont Park’s Grade 3 Westchester in 2023.

Charles Biggs’ Harper’s Corner [post 3, Paco Lopez] tries turf after making her first three starts on dirt. Trained by Cathal Lynch, the Speaker’s Corner dark bay wired her five-furlong debut in June at Laurel Park, and wheeled back less than one month later to do the same by 5 1/4 lengths in the six-furlong Listed Schuylerville on July 3 at Saratoga.

Most recently, Harper’s Corner was a pacesetting second to the well-regarded Summer Starlet in the seven-furlong Grade 1 Spinaway on September 5 at Saratoga. She is out of the Speightstown mare Toscana and was purchased for $70,000 at the OBS Spring Sale of 2-Year-Olds in Training where she worked in 10.2 seconds. Her second dam is Nikkis Smartypants, a Grade 3-winner on turf and a three-time winner on synthetic.

StarLadies Racing, West Paces Racing, Titletown Racing Stables and U Racing Stables’ More Champagne [post 2, Edgard Zayas] dominated her 5 1/2-furlong debut by 6 1/2 lengths over next-out winner Shining Moment in April at Keeneland. Trained by Tom Morley, the Golden Pal bay was then off-the-board in the Group 2 Queen Mary in June at Royal Ascot ahead of a last-out fifth in the 5 1/2-furlong Listed Bolton Landing in August at the Spa.

Pivotal Racing, Madaket Stables and William Strauss’ Side Quest [post 6, Ricardo Santana, Jr.] went off favored in the Bolton Landing and landed sixth after traveling 7th-of-8 early. Trained by Will Walden, the Charlatan gray previously graduated second-out when trying turf versus maiden auction company in July at the Spa. The 5 3/4-length score earned a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure.

Rounding out the field are stakes-placed Almighty One [post 4, Jose Lezcano, 2 front shoes, hind shoes ON] for trainer Kevin Rice; as well as maiden winners Medinah [post 5, Dylan Davis] for dual Hall of Famer Mark Casse and Brickyard Belle [post 1, Manny Franco] for conditioner Miguel Clement.