The GII Honorable Miss H. has attracted a small, but speedy field of five fillies and mares who will line up for the six furlong event Wednesday. Wesley Ward's Judy the Beauty (Ghostzapper) looks to get back on track here. The GI Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Sprint winner made her belated seasonal debut in the GI Humana Distaff H. at Churchill May 2 and was nipped late to finish second by a neck behind Dame Dorothy (Bernardini).
“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 I and not having a prep or anything, I thought it was a very good effort,” Ward said of that effort. “She's doing great,” the owner/trainer continued. “She likes a target to run at so I would expect we'd probably be off the pace.”
Judy the Beauty, who has three wins and three seconds in six career starts at this distance, is given the even-money morning-line nod.
Judy the Beauty's stiffest competition will likely be the quick-footed New York-bred La Verdad (Yes It's True). The Linda Rice trainee was unplaced in two efforts at this track last season, but has gotten off to a flying start this year with three consecutive victories in the GII Distaff H. at the Big A Apr. 18, Belmont's
GIII Vagrancy H. May 16 and in the sloppy state-bred Dancin Renee S. June 28.
“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,” Rice explained. “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.”
La Verdad will almost surly have some competition up front with Enchantress (Malibu Moon) and Ultimate Shopper (Yes It's True) entered. Enchantress closed out her juvenile season with an impressive five-length pillar-to-post optional claiming win at Gulfstream in December, but was eased into eighth after setting the pace in the GII Forward Gal there Jan. 24. She never factored when 12th in the GII Davona Dale Feb. 21 and finished sixth in the Jersey Girl S. cutting back to six furlongs June 5. She'll shed blinkers for this one, and gets in light at 108 lbs. with apprentice rider Eric Cancel in the irons. Ultimate Shopper annexed an optional claimer at Gulfstream June 19 in her first start since transferring to the Ralph Nicks barn. She'll have to step up in class for this one, and is given a 10-1 chance on the morning line.
Rounding out the field is the Steve Asmussen trained Street Story (Street Cry {Ire}), who has found her best stride as of late. The Whispering Oaks colorbearer was runner-up in Oaklawns's Carousel S. Apr. 8, took Churchill's sloppy GIII Winning Colors S. May 25 and was second to Dame Dorothy in the GIII Bed o' Roses S. June 20.
“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. 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.”
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