Holiday Disguise gives Rice third straight Broadway triumph

OZONE PARK, N.Y. - Not sure if she can sing or dance, but trainer Linda Rice knows what it takes to succeed on Broadway.

On Saturday, at Aqueduct, Rice won her third straight $100,000 Broadway Stakes for New York-bred female sprinters - and fourth overall - when Holiday Disguise rallied down the center of an inside-speed-favoring Aqueduct main track to win the Broadway by 4 1/4 lengths over 4-5 favorite Pauseforthecause.

All of Rice’s wins in the Broadway have come with horses owned wholly or in part by Sheila Rosenblum’s Lady Sheila Stable. In addition to Holiday Disguise, Rice and Rosenblum teamed to win this race in 2018 with Startwithsilver, in 2017 with Hot City Girl, and in 2014 with La Verdad.

This was the first horse Rice had run for Rosenblum in several months, as the two had ended their six-year business relationship last November. In January, Rosenblum sent Rice back five horses including Midnight Disguise and Startwithsilver, the latter who finished fifth in the Broadway.

“It’s pretty exciting really to get our first race back together as a win,” Rice said.

Rosenblum was on vacation in Austria this week and thus was not at Aqueduct on Saturday.

Though Holiday Disguise was a four-time stakes winner, including a victory in the Grade 3 Distaff last April, there were reasons to think she was vulnerable. She lost her last three starts of 2018, had never won at six furlongs, and was coming off a 119-day layoff.

Last, and certainly not least, Holiday Disguise’s late-running style seemed a detriment.

“I was a little concerned because the track has been favoring speed for the last couple of days and also I don’t think Holiday has ever won a race at six furlongs,” Rice said. “I was hoping to use this as a starting point for her.”

Holiday Disguise, ridden for the first time by Jose Lezcano, did benefit from a hot pace. Absatootly and Filibustin dueled through an opening quarter in 22.31 seconds. Absatootly, making her first start for Ray Handal, put Filibustin away and had a two-length led at the quarter pole.

Pauseforthecause, the 4-5 favorite who steadied early on down the backside, moved into second turning for home and picked up the chase. But Holiday Disguise was on the march and despite having to come five wide in the lane she overtook Absatootly just outside the eighth-pole and easily outkicked Pauseforthecause to the wire.

Pauseforthecause finished second by 2 1/4 lengths over Palladian Bridge, who won a three-way photo over Absatootly and Startwithsilver. Filibustin, I Still Miss You, and Queeb completed the field.

Holiday Disguise, a 5-year-old mare by Harlan’s Holiday and a half-sister to the multiple stakes winner Midnight Disguise, covered the six furlongs in 1:11.13 and returned $11.40 to win.

Lezcano said his mare broke slowly because “she was moving inside the gate. But she grabbed the bit and picked it up little by little. She was the class of the race, the pace was fast and she closed the deal.”

Rice said she has several options with Holiday Disguise including the Heavenly Prize on March 10, the Correction on March 16, or simply wait for the Grade 3 Distaff on April 5.