La Verdad Out of BC, Palace a Maybe
Updated: October 23, 2015 at 7:53 pm
Lady Sheila Stable’s La Verdad (Yes It’s True), who was pre-entered in both the GI Breeders’ Cup Sprint and GI Breeders’ Cup F/M Sprint, will skip the championships in favor of defending her title in Belmont’s New York-bred Iroquois S. Saturday.
“It would be very unlikely that [La Verdad] would go [to the Breeders’ Cup],” trainer Linda Rice told the TDN Friday afternoon. “She’s not Breeders’ Cup nominated so it would be a big investment. By the time you get done paying the planes and hotels, it’s going to be $150,000. Unfortunately, the Filly and Mare Sprint, which is the race she belongs in, is seven furlongs and that’s not her best distance for Grade I company and its going to cost $150,000 to go. So, with that said, I am more inclined to run here. We considered running against the colts [in the BC Sprint], but tactically there is a lot of speed signed on for that race with Private Zone and Runhappy. To run a filly against the boys…if it looked more attractive we may give it a try, but unfortunately I don’t think it sets up well tactically for her.”
La Verdad, who recently became a millionaire, boasts a perfect season with five straight black-type wins, most recently taking Belmont’s GII Gallant Bloom H. The 5-year-old is likely to get her shot against the boys after the Iroquois.
“We may go on and try her in the [Frank J.] De Francis [Memorial Dash] in Maryland,” Rice commented. “It is in November, its against the colts for $350,000, but it’s six furlongs, or even possibly the [GIII] Fall Highweight against the colts at Aqueduct. Its six furlongs, a Grade III over Thanksgiving.”
Dual Grade I winner Palace (City Zip)’s BC Sprint status is still up in the air. It is possible that the Antonino Miuccio colorbearer will also run at Belmont Saturday instead of the Breeders’ Cup.
“I am going to make that decision [Saturday] early,” Rice said on whether or not she would run the 6-year-old in the Hudson H. against fellow native New Yorkers. “We have been working with him on a foot. We are scheduled to patch it up tomorrow morning. It’s been worked on with Ian McKinley and if I’m satisfied with how it looks I may elect to run him here. It’s a little up in the air here with Palace, but La Verdad will run here [Saturday].”
If Palace does not run in the Hudson, Rice said she would definitely still consider the Breeders’ Cup. However, if the bay does run tomorrow, the championships are “unlikely, but not impossible,” according to the conditioner.
It was announced earlier this month that Palace would stand stud at Spendthrift Farm upon the conclusion of his racing career.