Judy the Beauty Faces Four Foes in Honorable Miss

Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint champion and multiple graded stakes winner Judy the Beauty will headline the Grade 2, $200,000 Honorable Miss for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at six furlongs on Wednesday at Saratoga Race Course.

Owned and trained by Wesley Ward, the 6-year-old mare by Ghostzapper has three wins and three second-place finishes in six lifetime starts at the distance. In her most recent start and first race of 2015 following her Breeders' Cup victory, she lost by a neck in a valiant effort, charging hard late but just missing at the wire in the Grade 1 Humana Distaff on May 1 at Churchill Downs.

"You know it was kind of a tough winter in Kentucky. She was training down there and being her first race back in a Grade 1 and not having a prep or anything, I thought it was a very good effort," said Ward.

Making her first start at Saratoga since 2012 when she finished second in the Grade 1 Prioress, Judy the Beauty has been adjusting well according to Ward, who has named Joel Rosario to ride.

"She's doing great," said Ward. "She likes a target to run at so I would expect we'd probably be off the pace." 

Expected to receive a majority of support from bettors, Judy the Beauty will leave from post position 4 in the five-horse field.

Set to enter on a three-race win streak from the barn of Linda Rice is La Verdad for owner Shelia Rosenbalum. A multiple graded stakes winner in her own right, the 5-year-old daughter of Yes It's True will look to pick up her first win and graded stakes victory at Saratoga. Last year at the Spa, she finished fifth in the Grade 1 Ballerina.  She enters the Honorable Miss coming off a flawless performance in the Dancin Renee at Belmont Park where she won by 7 ¼ lengths.

"She's training well," said Rice. "She had her last little breeze over the track and went easy. She did not do well over this track last year but I think that she was a little bit over the top at the time. She had been training for a long time and I'm hoping that after getting a break this winter, she's come back fresh and well. She's won three in a row; hopefully she's at the top of her game. She's going to need to be with Judy the Beauty in there."

With regular rider Jose Ortiz scheduled for the mount, La Verdad will leave from post 3.

Street Story, a 4-year-old daughter of Street Cry for Whispering Oaks Farm will enter from the barn of trainer Steve Asmussen. She is coming off an encouraging finish in the Grade 3 Bed o' Roses on June 20 at Belmont where she put in a strong bid to finish second. Previous to that race, she won the Grade 3 Winning Colors at Churchill Downs over a sloppy track on May 25.

"I think she's done really well her last couple of races," said Asmussen. "It's a nice opportunity. Judy the Beauty, obviously the champion sprint mare is going in there but we expect her to run extremely well. She was sharp her last two races. The draw will have a lot to do with where she's at early. In last year's [Grade 3] Victory Ride she was coming from considerably further back. This year, spacing her races a little bit better, maybe just being a little bit older and a little stronger, she's been showing more speed."

Street Story is set to depart from post 5.

Rounding out the field is 3-year-old filly Enchantress for trainer Todd Pletcher and Ultimate Shopper for Whisper Oaks Farm and trainer Ralph Nicks .

Source: NYRA Communications