Aqueduct: La Verdad, Palace may ship to Laurel for graded stakes

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Trainer Linda Rice is considering sending her two top New York-bred sprinters to Maryland for next weekend’s graded stakes races at Laurel Park.

La Verdad, who has won five consecutive races, is a definite for the Grade 2, $300,000 Barbara Fritchie Handicap on Saturday while Palace, winner of the Grade 3 Fall Highweight last fall, is possible for the Grade 3, $250,000 General George Handicap on Feb. 17.

On Saturday, Palace worked six furlongs in 1:18.54 over the Belmont Park training track. It was a slow breeze time-wise, but the training track was yielding extremely pedestrian times all morning as if horses were training at nearby Jones Beach rather than a racetrack.

Working from the half-mile pole, Palace went his first quarter in 26.77 seconds, and hit the wire in 52.44 before going five furlongs in 1:05.51 around the turn. Rice didn’t know what to make of the workout afterwards.

“The track was slow. It was a little disturbing,” Rice said. “It wasn’t exactly what we wanted, but conditions weren’t exactly what we want.”

Palace is also nominated to the $100,000 Hollie Hughes at Aqueduct, a six-furlong race restricted to New York-breds run the same day as the seven-furlong General George. However, Rice said that if she skipped the General George, she may prefer to wait to run Palace in the Grade 3, $200,000 Tom Fool Handicap, a six-furlong race at Aqueduct on March 1.

“Both are a possibility. We’ll see how the race shapes up in Maryland,” Rice said.

Among those expected for the General George is Javerre, who won last year’s race.

Meanwhile, La Verdad is set to make her stakes debut in the Barbara Fritchie following a five-race winning streak that included three wins against New York-breds and two allowance wins versus open company. On Friday, La Verdad worked six furlongs in 1:15.46.

Gourmet Dinner eyes Stymie

Gourmet Dinner, beaten 25 lengths by Mucho Macho Man in the Sunshine Millions Classic at Gulfstream on Jan. 18, has returned to New York and trainer Bruce Brown and is being pointed to next Saturday’s $100,000 Stymie Stakes.

On Saturday, Gourmet Dinner worked a half-mile in 54.79 seconds, getting a final quarter in 26.58 over the slow Belmont training track. He worked in company with Escape to the Moon.

While not enthused with the final time, Brown was glad to have jockey Manuel Franco work the horse. Franco will ride Gourmet Dinner in the Stymie.

“He’s a difficult horse to ride. It’s good to have somebody on him who’s going to ride the horse,” Brown said.

The Stymie, which has not filled the last two years, looks like it will have enough entries to be run this year. Among those expected to go when entries are taken Monday are Farhaan, Jonesy Boy, Mail, and possibly Percussion.

Jonesy Boy, the Queens County winner, worked four furlongs in 50.89 Saturday morning over the training track.