NYRA/Viola Jasko
By Bill Heller
Asking a three-year-old filly to step up from a bottom level allowance victory to a $250,000 stakes is a tall order, but it’s a lot easier if that filly won her allowance race by a staggering margin over older fillies and mares.
Francis Paolangeli’s home-bred, three-year-old filly Verdant Pastures certainly did, romping by 14 ¾ lengths in an allowance race at Saratoga, August 9th. Trainer Charlie Baker gave his filly ample time to recover and she came back to win Saturday’s fourth running of the mile and a sixteenth $250,000 Empire Distaff wire-to-wire under Manny Franco by two lengths on Empire Showcase Day Saturday at Belmont Park. Sent off the 3-1 second choice in the field of nine, Verdant Pastures won in 1:43.65.
Longshot Might Be, who was 41-1 under Dylan Davis, made a bold mid-stretch rush at Verdant Pastures, but was rebuffed. Might Be hung on for second, three-quarters of a length ahead of fast-finishing Bonita Bianca, the 2-1 favorite ridden by Irad Ortiz Jr. Jc’s Shooting Star, who was 12-1 under Eric Cancel, finished fourth, 8 ¼ lengths behind Bonita Bianca.
“I was a little worried heading into the race that she’d be 100 percent,” Baker said. “Following her Saratoga race, she’s had some minor issues, but thankfully she was able to come back and perform today.”
Verdant Pastures, who was foaled at Keane Stud in Amenia, is a daughter of Colonel John out of Stormy’s Smile by Stormy Atlantic. After finishing third, sixth and eighth in three starts as a two-year-old, Verdant Pastures won a maiden race Jan. 27th at Aqueduct by 7 ¾ lengths. She then finished fourth at 1-2 in an allowance race March 5th.
NYRA/Coglianese photo
Verdant Pastures didn’t return to the races for more than five months, but she came back a different filly, blowing away allowance foes at Saratoga in her first start against her elders with Franco regaining the mount Aug. 9th. Baker decided to train her up to the Empire Distaff, and she worked a five-furlong bullet in 1:00 2/5 at Belmont Park Oct. 3rd to show her readiness. She added another useful five-furlong drill in 1:01 3/5 11 days later.
She came back ready to run and she took the lead from the four post. Verdant Pastures led Might Be, who broke from the seven post, by a neck after an opening quarter in :22.94, and they remained 1-2 the entire race. Might Be drew within a head of Verdant Pastures after three quarters in 1:10.72, but Verdant Pastures responded and put her away, opening up late.
“She broke so well, I just let her do her thing,” Franco said. “Like in Saratoga, I just went to the lead and she relaxed by herself. She’s a pretty nice filly. At the top of the stretch, I felt my filly was getting tired a little bit, but I knew I had something left.”
Verdant Pastures is now three-for-seven with earnings topping $230,000.
