De La Rose likely to come down to Brown pair of Viadera, Regal Glory

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Viadera won for the first time in this country when she took the De La Rose Stakes here last July. She hasn’t lost since.

Viadera looks to keep her winning streak intact when she makes her long-belated 5-year-old debut in Sunday’s $120,000 De La Rose Stakes going a mile over Saratoga’s inner turf course.

Viadera, a Juddmonte Farms homebred daughter of Bated Breath, hasn’t run since winning the Grade 1 Matriarch at Del Mar last Nov. 29, her third straight victory since she lost her U.S. debut in the Grade 3 Intercontinental at Belmont on June 6, 2020.

Chad Brown, trainer of Viadera, said the filly was slow to come to hand this winter and early spring. He was hoping to make the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont Park in June, but Brown said he ran out of time. Viadera was entered in the Perfect Sting Stakes at Belmont on July 3, but was scratched when that race was washed off the turf.

“She went from being behind to being ready to run now for a month or more,” Brown said. “Here we are, training great. I know she’s got the layoff to contend with but that’s about the only obstacle. She’s doing super.”

Viadera’s other obstacle in the seven-horse field may be her stablemate Regal Glory, a six-time stakes winner, including a pair of graded events here as a 3-year-old. After winning the Plenty of Grace Stakes going a mile at Aqueduct, Regal Glory finished fourth, beaten 3 1/2 lengths by Althiqa in the Grade 1 Just a Game at Belmont on June 5.

“She had a nightmare trip in the Just a Game,” Brown said. “I think she would have been right there had she gotten out of the gate and got a spot.”

Viadera and Regal Glory are a combined 3 for 3 at Saratoga. The rest of the field is 0 for 2.

“Both of these horses have shown they can run at Saratoga,” Brown said. “It’s an important factor. I’ve had horses that don’t run well here.”

Joel Rosario rides Viadera from post 3. Jose Ortiz has the mount on Regal Glory from post 7.

There does appear to be ample pace in this field with the likes of Shifty She and Raven’s Cry in the field. Shifty She, trained by Saffie Joseph Jr., was a front-running winner of the Ginger Punch Stakes at Gulfstream on June 12. Raven’s Cry, trained by Brad Cox, set the pace in a stakes at Indiana Grand, but faded to fourth.

Completing the field are Hendy Woods, fourth in the Grade 3 Mint Julep at Churchill Downs on June 12; Star Command, making her stakes debut after two straight wins; and Belle Laura, winless in five starts this year.