Change of plans for Judy the Beauty

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Judy the Beauty, last year’s champion female sprinter, left Saratoga early Thursday and headed back to Keeneland, where she will prepare for the Breeders’ Cup Filly and Mare Sprint, to be run Oct. 31.

Judy the Beauty finished third to La Verdad and Street Story here Wednesday in the Grade 2 Honorable Miss.

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Initially, owner and trainer Wesley Ward said he was going to run Judy the Beauty in the Honorable Miss and Grade 1 Ballerina at Saratoga before the BC Filly and Mare Sprint. Now, Ward said he will look to run Judy the Beauty in either the Grade 2, $200,000 Thoroughbred Club of America on Oct. 4 or the Grade 3, $200,000 Phoenix against males at Keeneland on Oct. 3.

“I didn’t want to get fully cranked up for the summer,” Ward said. “She got a nice race in her, she came out of the race really sound. I want to crank down on her and have her 100 percent fit heading into her next couple of races.”

Meanwhile, trainer Linda Rice said La Verdad came out of her four-length victory “very well” and will be pointed to the Ballerina on Aug. 29. The Honorable Miss was at six furlongs, and the Ballerina is run at seven furlongs.

“Seven furlongs is always a challenge, but she’s in a little better form than she’s ever been,” Rice said.

La Verdad earned a career-best 102 Beyer Speed Figure for her Honorable Miss success.

Trainer Steve Asmussen said Street Story could run in either the Ballerina or the Gallant Bloom at Belmont.