Lindy Farms’ Irish-bred filly Queen of Hawaii is set to make a comeback and aim for her first stakes victory on U.S. soil in Sunday’s Grade 3 Winter Memories Stakes, a $200,000 turf race over one mile for sophomore fillies at Belmont Park. Under the guidance of trainer Philip Antonacci, the Kingman bay impressed with a narrow win over older horses during her U.S. and barn debut last July at Saratoga, edging out the next-out winner Play With Fire in a one-mile optional claimer from the rail.
Her most recent start was a 1 3/4-length fifth-place finish behind Naomis in the Grade 2 Lake Placid Stakes at Saratoga on August 29. Queen of Hawaii broke from post one again with Jose Ortiz aboard, tracking near the back early and angling wide in the stretch, narrowly missing a top-four finish with the winner clocking 1:35.72. Antonacci reflected on the race saying, “Jose got off her and said nothing really went our way that day. Sometimes the rail works in your favor, other times you get caught up in the race’s flow. They didn’t set a fast pace, but she still ran a strong race.” He added confidence in the filly’s quality, noting the winner looked like a standout contender.
Before joining Antonacci, Queen of Hawaii made four starts for trainer Joseph O’Brien, highlighted by a victory in the Grade 3 Irish EBF at The Curragh and a seventh-place effort in the Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Fillies Turf at Del Mar last October. Antonacci believes the filly is progressing well as the year advances, expecting her to be highly competitive in this upcoming test.
Purchased for $270,611 at the 2024 Goffs Orby Yearling Sale, Queen of Hawaii is out of the winning Galileo mare Hibiscus, who is a full sister to 2018 Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf champion Line of Duty.
Competing alongside her is Live Oak Plantation’s Florida-bred Ultimate Love, trained by Michael Trombetta. Ultimate Love, who finished just half a length behind in the Lake Placid, earned a career-best 87 Beyer Speed Figure after stalking the pace closely. The Curlin filly has shown steady improvement following a fifth-place finish in the G3 Lake George and a ninth in the G1 Belmont Oaks at Saratoga earlier in the season. Trombetta noted that Ultimate Love has been training well and should be ready to perform strongly after a busy summer campaign.
Another notable entrant is Kentucky-bred Sister Troienne for Woodslane Racing and trainer Brian Lynch. A five-time winner with a streak that included multiple stakes victories across Churchill Downs, Keeneland, and Gulfstream Park, Sister Troienne is making her New York debut after a spring layoff due to bone bruising. Lynch praised her consistent performances over the winter and believes this race is the perfect spot for a comeback ahead of a fall target in the Grade 2 Valley View at Keeneland.
Other contenders include Shelzawa, trained by Chad Brown, who has won in limited U.S. starts after competing in France, and Brown’s other entrant Crossover Capital, who remains undefeated in two starts. Brown and the late Christophe Clement share the record for most Winter Memories wins, each with three.
Also joining the field are recent Saratoga maiden winner Peppermint Twist, several graded-stakes placed runners such as Flowerhead, Kokomotion, Lovely Grey, State-bred stakes winner Victory Hall, and Alone Time.
Scheduled as the eighth race on the nine-race card with first post at 1:10 p.m. Eastern, the Winter Memories Stakes offers racing fans a compelling showcase of emerging turf talent. General admission to Belmont Park is $7 when purchased in advance, providing access to multiple grandstand areas. Fans can also watch live coverage through FOX Sports and place wagers via the official betting app NYRA Bets, available nationwide.
This report originally appeared in the Paulick Report on September 23, 2026.
Fan Take: This race highlights some of the most promising young turf fillies competing at a high level, offering fans a glimpse of the future stars of the sport. A strong showing by these contenders could set the stage for thrilling turf battles and elevate the profile of American turf racing in the coming seasons.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
