For La Verdad, Breeding Can Wait
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Photo:
NYRA
Already scheduled to retire from racing and enter the breeding shed later this winter, Lady Sheila Stable's sprinting sensation La Verdad
has added an extra stop on her truncated 6-year-old campaign, taking on six rivals in the $100,000 Interborough on Saturday at Aqueduct Racetrack.
The New York-bred daughter of Yes It's True was already on track for the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie at Laurel Park but, encouraged by a five-furlong bullet workout on January 2, trainer Linda Rice supplemented her star mare to the Interborough. La Verdad had capped off a carefully spotted 2015 campaign that included graded stakes victories in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap, Grade 3 Vagrancy and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom, with a gutsy runner-up performance in the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint one week after a 3 ¾-length, off-the-pace romp in the Iroquois.
Her only racing demerit of the year came in her final start of the season in the Grade 3 Fall Highweight, where she finished sixth while taking on older males, but La Verdad's 2015 record of five wins and one second-place finish in eight stakes starts has put her squarely in the running for year-end honors, earning an Eclipse Award nomination for Champion Female Sprinter.
"We've had her here for the duration," Rice said of the 6-year-old mare. "We just gave her a little time to recover from the Fall Highweight. She's doing very well and she had a really nice work last weekend."
Installed as the morning-line favorite at even money, La Verdad will break from post 5 with regular jockey Jose Ortiz and, if all goes to plan, will remain pointed to the Barbara Fritchie on February 13, the likely swansong for a career that boasts a 15-3-0 record and earnings of more than $1.5 million from 24 races, before shipping to central Kentucky to be bred to top stallion Medaglia d'Oro.
"Frankly, the Barbara Fritchie is in February and we'll probably send her to Kentucky after that," said Rice. "We'll take it race by race but we thought [the Interborough] was a good option for her at six furlongs and it's in our backyard."
La Verdad will be joined by Room for Me, 3 ¾-length winner of the Garland of Roses last time out. Set at 5-2 on the morning line, the 6-year-old Harlington mare will break from post 4 with Cornelio Velasquez for owner-trainer David Jacobson.
Mike Hushion will saddle Garland of Roses runner-up Princess Violet for owner Barry Schwartz. Winner of the Grade 1 Madison at Keeneland last spring, Princess Violet, 6-1, will be ridden by Junior Alvarado from post 6.
Godolphin Racing's Dancing House will make her first start since April for the Kiaran McLaughlin barn. Installed at 8-1, the 5-year-old daughter of Tapit will leave from the outside post 7 with Kendrick Carmouche aboard.
Rounding out the field for the Interborough are Missile Approved Racing's Jubilant Vision, 20-1, most recently fourth in the Garland of Roses for trainer Naipaul Chatterpaul; Fat Kat, 20-1, a recent optional claiming winner at Penn National, for trainer Robert Reid, Jr.; and last year's Interborough victor Willet, 12-1, for trainer and co-owner James Iselin.
Source: NYRA
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