NYRA/Adam Coglianese
by Sarah Mace
Lady Sheila Stable’s La Verdad (Yes It’s True), last seen successfully defending her title in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct Racetrack on April 18, ran her 2015 record up to a perfect two-for-two at Belmont Park on Saturday with a determined victory in the Grade 3, $150,000 Vagrancy Handicap for older fillies and mares at 6 1/2 furlongs.
As the 121-pound highweight, five-plus pounds more than her rivals once overweights were in, La Verdad was bet down to 3-5 favoritism and slated to break from the rail post. Waiting in the wings (and in post two) was 7-5 second choice and recent Videogenic winner Room For Me, whose form has been extremely sharp since being claimed by the Jacobson barn two starts back for $12,500.
Out of the gate sharply, La Verdad met an unexpected early challenge from 16-1 Frivolity, Room For Me’s stablemate, who rushed up after a poor break and came up on even terms with her at the half-mile pole.
After turning back Frivolity, La Verdad opened up two lengths on the field through the turn and straightened away for the drive. Her next test came from Room For Me, who took over second and loomed in the stretch.
Digging in as Room For Me eroded her lead, and drifting out slightly under a left-handed whip, the bay mare held off her challenger with determination, winning by the margin of a half-length in a final time of 1:16.17. It was seven lengths back to Mamdooha in third. [VIDEO]
Jockey Jose Ortiz said, “I wasn’t expecting [Frivolity] to come after me early, but [La Verdad] handled it well. When [Room for Me] came up to me in the stretch, she was coming at the same pace, but my filly was never going to let her by.”
NYRA/Joe Labozzetta
Trainer Linda Rice focused on the second rival in her post-race comments. “The four horse [Room For Me] had been running some real crazy numbers the last two races, so I knew she was a formidable foe, but [La Verdad] managed to get through it again,” said Rice. “She’s pretty tough herself.”
Sheila Rosenblum, La Verdad’s owner (and biggest fan), added, “My horse is fantastic, what can I say? She’s proven herself over and over. We gave her a big break, a well-deserved break. She came back and it was tough. We had some fabulous horses against us, and we were very, very worried about the speed horse (Room for Me). She proved herself once again.”
A winner of seven stakes races, and owner of a 12-2-0 record in 18 starts, La Verdad’s earnings have now soared to a lofty $990,700. Last year at four she won four New York-bred stakes in addition to her victory in the Distaff Handicap, and finished second in both the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie and Grade 2 Gallant Bloom.
Rice said that we may see La Verdad competing at the highest level at some point this year. “With a filly like her – she’ll be going to the breeding shed next fall – if we could get her a Grade 1 win this year, that’d be the ultimate goal,” said Rice.
Bred by Eklektikos Stable LLC and foaled at Chester and Mary Broman’s Chestertown farm in Chestertown. La Verdad was sold privately to Rosenblum following a second allowance victory in November 2013.
She is one of three winners and two stakes performers out of Noble Fire (Hook and Ladder), a stakes-placed runner bred by Chester and Mary Broman also trained by Rice. Rice bought Noble Fire for Eklektikos for $115,000 at the 2007 OBS Spring sale of 2-year-olds in training. Noble Fire’s two other winners, are N. F’s Destiny (Cuvee), an eight-time winner of over $335,000 and Lady Sheila Stable’s stakes-placed six-figure earner Hot City Girl (City Zip). The mare currently has a yearling filly by Freud and was not bred in 2014.
