Despite the fact that she is already a millionaire and multiple graded stakes winner, Lady Sheila Stable's La Verdad (Yes It's True) has yet to win a Grade I, but she hopes to amend that in Saratoga's GI Ballerina S. Saturday, a “Win and You're In” for the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Sprint.
A head-scratching fifth in last year's renewal of this test, the Linda Rice trainee has been unstoppable this season, starting with her second straight success in Aqueduct's GII Distaff H. Apr. 18. The fleet bay held off the reopposing Room for Me (Harlington) to capture Belmont's GIII Vagrancy H. next out May 16 and splashed home a 7 1/4-length winner when defending her title in that venue's Dancin Renee S. for New York-breds June 28. After finishing fifth in last year's GII Honorable Miss H. at the Spa, La Verdad streaked home a decisive four-length winner of this year's renewal over Street Story (Street Cry {Ire}) and champion Judy the Beauty (Ghostzapper).
“She's doing really well. She's coming in off those four stakes wins this year so, obviously, we've got her in pretty good form,” said Rice. “We would sure like to get that Grade I for her. We anticipate her going to the breeding shed next year, and a Grade I is something that she certainly deserves, but she's got to earn it. They don't give those away.”
The morning-line favorite's biggest competition will come in the form of GI Humana Distaff S. heroine and 'TDN Rising Star' Dame Dorothy (Bernardini). Capturing her seasonal bow in the Sunshine Millions Distaff over GISW and GI Personal Ensign H. contender Sheer Drama (Burning Roma) Jan. 17, the Todd Pletcher pupil then shipped to the West Coast where she finished second in Arcadia's GI Santa Margarita S. Mar. 14. Breaking through at the highest level in Churchill's Humana Distaff next out May 2, the bay was last seen winning the GIII Bed O' Roses H. downstate June 20. She is an imposing four-for-four at this specialist distance.
“She's having a good season and looks really well coming up to this race,” Pletcher said. “She seems to have found her niche at seven furlongs. We mapped out a campaign focusing on that.”
Winner of last term's GIII Victory Ride S., Whispering Oaks Farm's Street Story has not finished worse than second since being transferred from Steve Flint to Steve Asmussen this spring. Second in Oaklawn's Carousel S. in her debut for this barn Apr. 8, the dark bay captured a sloppy renewal of Churchill's GIII Winning Colors S. May 25 and was runner-up in the Bed O' Roses. The 4-year-old was the only one within shouting distance of La Verdad in the stretch when second in the Honorable Miss.
Owned and trained by David Jacobson, Room for Me followed her runner-up effort in the Vagrancy with an optional claimer win in Elmont May 24 and was fourth in the Bed O' Roses prior to a victory in Monmouth's Regret S. Aug. 1.
An interesting new face in the female sprint division is Charles Fipke homebred Unbridled Forever (Unbridled's Song). Winner of the Silverbulletday S. and runner-up in the GI CCA Oaks last season, the Dallas Stewart trainee finished fifth to Stopchargingmaria (Tale of the Cat) in this venue's GI Alabama S. last August. Second to Tiz Windy (Tiznow) in the GII Indiana Oaks Oct. 4, the bay was fifth behind champion Untapable (Tapit), who will face both Stopchargingmaria and Tiz Windy in the GI Personal Ensign S. Saturday, in the GI Breeders' Cup Distaff Oct. 31. Given a 10-month vacation, Unbridled Forever made a successful return in the track-and-trip Shine Again S., where she came charging late for a narrow decision over last year's runaway GII Prioress S. winner Stonetastic (Mizzen Mast).
Another contender who could make some noise here is runaway GIII Hurricane Bertie S. winner Merry Meadow (Henny Hughes). Trained by Mark Hennig, the William Parsons Jr. and David Howe runner weakened to sixth in the GII Inside Information S. in Hallandale Mar. 21, but rebounded to win that venue's GII Princess Rooney S. July 5. The seven-furlong distance is the main sticking point here.
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