In the summer of 2023 MyRacehorse’s Duke of Love had found a home on the dirt with a victory in the West Virginia Governor’s Stakes (G3) and a respectable fifth-place finish in the Jockey Club Gold Cup (G1) behind a trio of horses who next ran in the Breeders’ Cup Classic (G1).

It took 18 months before he raced again after the Jockey Club Gold Cup.

“He had a terrible infection, and he was in a clinic for three weeks before the abscess broke,” trainer Josie Carroll said. “It took him a long time to come back.”

Duke of Love made his return on March 1 when he tackled a salty allowance field going 7 furlongs at Gulfstream Park. He finished fifth that day, beaten 3 lengths by the stakes-placed Caramel Chip.

“That was a good comeback race with a solid group of horses and a genuinely tough race,” Carroll said. “He’s an honest horse who shows up every time, and that race showed he was back at a good level.”

Off that effort, Carroll has entered Duke of Love in Saturday’s 94th running of the $350,000 Ben Ali (G3) going 1 3/16 miles. John Velazquez, who was aboard for the comeback race, has the mount.

“I was looking at an allowance race for him here, but those races usually have bigger fields and are just as strong as the stakes,” said Carroll, who opted for the Ben Ali.

Duke of Love had his final work for the Ben Ali with a half-mile breeze in :48.20 Tuesday morning.