La Madrina ends long layoff in allowance sprint
ELMONT, N.Y. – La Madrina ended her 3-year-old season on a sour note when finishing a well-beaten seventh in the Grade 2 Raven Run Stakes at Keeneland last October. After a seven-month layoff, La Madrina kicks off her 4-year-old campaign Sunday in a third-level allowance race going six furlongs at Belmont Park.
La Madrina will face only four rivals, including two – Room for Me and Frivolity – who ran just a week ago in the Grade 3 Vagrancy Handicap. Medaglia d’Argento and Sky Girl complete the field for the third of nine races.
La Madrina, a half-sister to Grade 1 winner Verrazano, won back-to-back allowance races last summer, including a three-length victory in a second-level allowance here going 6 1/2 furlongs.
In the Raven Run, La Madrina was well off what seemed to be a hot early pace, but the pacesetter, Taris, never stopped en route to a nine-length victory. La Madrina was beaten 13 1/4 lengths but just four lengths for second.
“We were disappointed, but she probably had excuses,” trainer Shug McGaughey said. “She came out of it a little banged up, and I had to give her some time. I turned her out for a little while and started her back. Hopefully, she’s ready.”
Race 3
Key Contenders
La Madrina (Last 3 Beyers: 81-87-82)
◗ Returns from a seven-month layoff but was able to win the first time out going seven furlongs at Gulfstream in March 2014.
◗ La Madrina could be compromised by an apparent lack of speed in this compact field.
“I just want to get her back going again,” McGaughey said. “She’s in there to win, but it’s probably not her deal going six furlongs, and she’s facing fillies that have been running. But she’s trained fine.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 3 La Madrina. Trainer Shug McGaughey is 16-2-1-2 with a $0.76 ROI over the past five years in dirt sprints following a layoff of 180 days or more.Click for more details. – Mike Hogan
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Room for Me (Last 3 Beyers: 100-94-105)
◗ Had a three-race winning streak snapped when beaten a half-length by La Verdad in the Vagrancy last Saturday. This would be Room for Me’s third race in 17 days.
“She came out of the race great. I saw her [Friday] morning. She looks good,” owner and trainer David Jacobson said. “We’ll make a final decision the day of the race, but so far, she’s doing everything right.”
◗ Room for Me picks up eight pounds from the Vagrancy, “but I don’t have to run against [La Verdad],” Jacobson said.
Frivolity (Last 3 Beyers: 20-81-86)
◗ Was done early when attempting to run with La Verdad early in the Vagrancy. Before that, Frivolity finished second to La Verdad in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap.
“She’ll run a good race,” Jacobson said. “I don’t know if she can beat [Room for Me], but she’ll run a good race.”
DRF FORMULATOR FACT: No. 4 Sky Girl. Is 2 for 3 sprinting on dirt, including a win in the Grade 3 Dogwood Stakes. Click for more details. – Mike Hogan