LAUREL, MD. 10-27-12---John Davison’s Mystic Love broke next to last, gradually settled into stride, then accelerated around the far turn and swept past the field of 2-year old fillies to be up in time to win the $150,000 Selima Stakes, the first of six stakes on the Fall Festival of Racing card at Laurel Park.

Contested at 5 ½ furlongs over the firm turf, the Selima attracted twelve starters including the dark bay daughter of Not For Love, who carried Elvis Trujillo to victory in 1:02.23.

Frannie Campitelli trains Mystic Love, who was bred in Maryland by Dark Hollow Farm. The filly had won her racing debut over the firm turf at Laurel on Sept. 14, then ran an even fifth in the Maryland Million Lassie on the main track.

“This is a very nice, very aggressive horse on grass,” said Trujillo. “The owner and trainer told me last race she didn’t like getting dirt on her face. In this race there were a bunch of horses in front so I had to swing out a little bit and then she got going. She really likes the outside and finished up well.”

Mystic Love beat Jewel of the Cat by three-quarters of a length with Hold Our Destiny finishing another length back in third.

“We were disappointed in our Maryland Million race because she trained so well on the dirt and always has,” Campitelli said. “Even though the Maryland Million was a restricted race, I thought we would try it anyway because we thought she could hit the board. Just this morning the girl that gets on her every day (Molly Moran) told me that now that she thinks about it, she is much happier on the turf. We worked her on the turf last week and had her out on it today. She just loves it.”

Mystic Love paid $11.20 and headed a $71.20 exacta and a $220.40 triple.