Hard Not to Love ($8), who lost an eye to an infection as a yearling, won her debut in a maiden special weight race for 3-year-old fillies in Saturday's first race.

Ridden by Tiago Pereira for trainer John Shirreffs, Hard Not to Love pulled clear in the final furlong to win by three lengths over 3-2 Flat Out Joy. Over Emphasize, the 7-5 favorite, was third. The field was reduced by one runner whe Chocolate Speights was withdrawn after becoming upset in the gate.

Hard Not to Love, by Hard Spun, was purchased for $400,000 at the 2017 Keeneland September Yearling Sale.

Hard Not to Love is owned by the partnership of Mercedes Stable, West Point Thoroughbreds, Scott Dilworth, David and Dottie Ingordo, and Steve Mooney.

This could be a big day for Shirreffs. His next runner is Paradise Woods in the Grade 2 Santa Monica Stakes, the ninth race.