Hot City Girl to cool her heels

OZONE PARK, N.Y. – Hot City Girl, the younger half-sister to champion La Verdad, will get 60 to 90 days off following her sixth-place finish in Saturday’s Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Stakes at Laurel Park, trainer Linda Rice said Monday.

“She slapped us right across the face,” Rice said. “Hindsight is always 20-20. It looks like we should have stopped after California, but we are where we are. That’s racing. She’s been in training since she’s been a 2-year-old; haven’t sent her out in 17 months. She’s made a half-million dollars, won a Grade 3 and second in a Grade 1, so it’s not all bad.”

Hot City Girl won the Charles Town Oaks and finished second in the Grade 1 La Brea at Santa Anita on Dec. 26.

Rice said she would focus on Saratoga and the fall with Hot City Girl.

The trip to Maryland wasn’t a total loss for Rice, who sent Kid Cruz down to Laurel to win last Saturday’s John B. Campbell Stakes. It was the first win for Kid Cruz since he took the Grade 3 Dwyer on July 5, 2014.

“I’m not sure he needed to get to the winner’s circle, but we needed to get to the winner’s circle,” Rice said. “It was very nice.”

Rice mentioned the $125,000 Stymie at Aqueduct on March 13 and the $75,000 Harrison Johnson at Laurel on March 19 as possible spots for Kid Cruz’s next race.