The 2-year-old colt Lovely Regalo won a maiden special weight race July 4 at Belterra Park Gaming & Entertainment Center to give freshman stallion Higher Power his first winner.
Owned and trained by Rey Hernandez, Lovely Regalo was making his fourth lifetime start. He sped to the front in Thursday's race, setting fractions of :23.20 and :47.53 en route to a 2 1/4-length victory. Final time for the five furlongs over a sloppy, sealed track was 1:00.69.
Lovely Regalo was bred in Kentucky by TK Stables. He is the first foal out of unraced Lovely Gift, by Mineshaft . Lovely Gift is a half to grade 3-placed stakes winner Bump Start, by Jump Start. She had a colt by Goldencents in 2023 and another colt by Balandeen in 2024.
Higher Power, by Medaglia d'Oro , won the 2019 Pacific Classic Stakes (G1) for owner Hronis Racing and trainer John Sadler. He was a 2-year-old winner and stakes placed as a 3-year-old. In addition to his Pacific Classic win at age 4, he also finished third behind Vino Rosso in the 2019 Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) at Santa Anita Park.
Higher Power stands at Darby Dan Farm near Lexington for a $10,000 stud fee.
Bred by Pin Oak Stud, Higher Power is out of the grade 2-placed, stakes-winning Seattle Slew mare Alternate, who is a half to multiple grade 1 winner, 1995 Canadian Horse of the Year, and sire Peaks and Valleys. Alternate also has produced grade 2 winner and sire Alternation , by Distorted Humor, and grade 3-placed stakes winner Interrupted, by Broken Vow.
