Owners Eric Good, Tom Biederman, Josh Green and Rich Lombardo have announced that their star pacing mare, Its A Love Thing p,3,1:48.2s ($1,413,540), has been retired from racing and will now move on to her second career, as a broodmare at Spring Station Bloodstock in Midway, Ky.
Bred by Canadians Marvin & Lynn Katz and Al Libfeld, the daughter of Bettors Delight - Love For Sail was purchased by her ownership group for $65,000 (USD) out of the Kentuckiana Farms consignment at the 2022 Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.
Under the tutelage of trainer David Menary, the Ontario-sired filly debuted at age two in an Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) Grassroots event at Woodbine Mohawk Park in rein to driver James MacDonald. The pair were victorious at first asking and never looked back, as ‘Lovey’ went on to finish her freshman season with a stat line of 12-6-2-1, earning $560,656 while taking a mark of 1:50.2s and pacing all of her final quarters faster than :27.3.
The 1:50.2 speed badge was taken in an $89,500 split of the Champlain Stakes, two weeks before the Mohawk fan favourite came back to capture the biggest purse of her career, when she won the $540,000 Shes A Great Lady in 1:50.3.
Its A Love Thing ended her two-year-old season as the O’Brien Award runner-up to Pass line. At three, Lovey’s stardom only grew, as did her bankroll.
In the first nine starts of her sophomore year, Its A Love Thing recorded seven victories and two runner-up finishes, including wins in the $425,000 Fan Hanover Stakes (in a career-best 1:48.2s), multiple OSS Gold events, the $141,500 SBOA final, a KYSS event at The Red Mile, and — in her first trip to The Meadowlands — an incredible first-over win in the Jerry Silverman Memorial, over My Girl EJ, after pacing a bullet final quarter of :25.4.
By the end of her three-year-old season, Its A Love Thing's career earnings totalled $1,404,540. She was named the 2024 O’Brien winner in the Three-Year-Old Pacing Filly category at the prestigious year-end O’Brien Awards
Following the first start of her four-year-old year, where she closed in :26.1 to come from seventh and finish second in Mohawk Fillies & Mares Preferred class, Its A Love Thing's connections became concerned with her soundness. After showing some soreness in her front right sesamoid bone, the group decided that even though her injury was considered to be somewhat minor, they never wanted to chance it becoming worse, and quickly decided that her broodmare career would start sooner than later.
“Lovey is one of the best horses that I’ve ever been a part of,” shared Josh Green. “Whenever she turned for home, regardless of the trip, she wanted to mow them down. She was so much fun to watch race.”
Partner Tom Biederman added, “She was the first real Standardbred racehorse that I’ve gotten to be a part of, and we are so blessed to have her, and such a good partnership group behind her.”
Its A Love Thing, who finishes her career with a stat line of 27-13-7-2, arrived back at Spring Station "looking like a million dollars" according to the owners. "We have trainer Dave Menary to thank for that, and we can’t thank Dave and his team enough for everything they’ve done for her over the past three years."
“She’s simply the best mare I’ve ever trained, and doing it for such a great group of people made it that much more enjoyable," noted Menary, Its A Love Thing's trainer for the entirety of her career. "I’m certain that she’ll have a great career as a broodmare as well, especially if she passes on her determination.”
Although the 2025 breeding season is near the end, that broodmare career may just start right away, as Its A Love Thing is set to be bred — at least once — to Sweet Lou.
(with files from Spring Station Bloodstock)