Turning in her final work ahead of a highly anticipated return to the races in next Saturday's GII Woodford Reserve Ballston Spa S., Lady Eli (Divine Park) took to the Oklahoma turf training track for a five-furlong breeze. Ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. and breezing in the company of her classy stable companion Mrs. McDougal (Medaglia d'Oro), the 4-year-old filly was timed in 1:01.06.
“Just to switch things up; I just wanted to give her a different look, breezing outside another horse and give Irad an opportunity to breeze her as well,” trainer Chad Brown said in response to a question concerning the work set-up. “He has breezed her a couple of times on this comeback trail, but not every week, though. I thought it was executed perfectly. She worked beautiful.”
Last seen winning the 2015 GI Belmont Oaks Invitational S., Lady Eli has worked the last handful of times over five furlongs in an effort to build up her stamina. As Lady Eli nears her comeback race, having successfully overcome a serious bout of laminitis, Brown says there is no single work that stands out.
“It's just been a progression,” he said. “In the early stages of what we have asked her to do, she acted like her old self, but it's been a gradual progression. She has gotten better each week. The work today was outstanding.”
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