Lift Up comes north off stakes win

ETOBICOKE, Ontario – Lift Up captured the West Virginia Senate President’s Cup Stakes at Mountaineer Park in her most recent start on Aug. 3, and will look to double up in Sunday’s $100,000 Belle Mahone Stakes for fillies and mares over 1 1/16 miles on Tapeta at Woodbine.

Based with trainer Michael Dickinson at his Tapeta Farm in Maryland, Lift Up has made three starts at Woodbine. She began her 2019 campaign with a seventh-place finish in the Grade 2 Dance Smartly Stakes on turf in June, but she also has experience over the Woodbine Tapeta, having finished second in the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes last November. She also ran in La Lorgnette Stakes as a 3-year-old in September 2017.

Lift Up has run well in her last two starts. She finished second in the Just a Kiss Stakes at Delaware Park on July 13 before her victory at Mountaineer.

“We keep giving her more and more to see how good she is,” Dickinson said. “She’s a late developer and she’s going to be even better. We haven’t seen the best of her yet. She’s a stayer but she can turn it on. That’s a lethal combination.”

KEY CONTENDERS

Lift Up, by Ghostzapper Last 3 Beyers: 88-88-77

◗ In addition to her two synthetic starts at Woodbine, Lift Up also finished second on Tapeta in the HBPA Stakes at Presque Isle Downs last October. The margin in both of her runner-up finishes – the HBPA and the Maple Leaf – was a neck.

◗ The six-horse Belle Mahone field appears to have speed on paper, which could set up the race nicely for Lift Up with her off-the-pace style.

She’s the Berries, by Badge of Silver Last 3 Beyers: 79-75-85

◗ She had her three-race win streak snapped when she encountered traffic in the Grade 3 Trillium Stakes two starts back on June 16.

◗ She switched to turf last time out in the restricted Eternal Search Stakes on Aug. 14, when she just missed to finish second to Red Cabernet, who came back quickly to win the Algoma Stakes on Aug. 28 with a 79 Beyer.

Monte Crista, by Cape Blanco Last 3 Beyers: 79-86-69

◗ Trainer Michael Trombetta has shipped up to win three of his seven starts at Woodbine this season, which includes stakes wins with Global Access, Wet Your Whistle, and most recently Souper Escape, who won the La Lorgnette Stakes on Sept. 1.

◗ Monte Crista will remove the blinkers following fourthplace finishes in her last two starts. She finished a halflength behind Lift Up in the Just a Kiss at Delaware Park two starts back on July 13.

A. A. Azula’s Arch, by Arch Last 3 Beyers: 84-77-90

◗ She defeated Lift Up to win the Grade 3 Maple Leaf Stakes over 1 1/4 miles here last November.

◗ The Belle Mahone will mark her first start since March, when she was fifth in the Grade 3 Orchid Stakes behind the likes of Santa Monica and Ickymasho. She was effective off an extended layoff last season, finishing second in an allowance event over 1 1/16 miles.