La Verdad forced to work for win in Dancin Renee Stakes

ELMONT, N.Y. – It wasn’t as easy as the toteboard suggested or trainer Linda Rice hoped it would be, but La Verdad proved victorious nonetheless in Thursday’s $100,000 Dancin Renee Stakes for New York-bred fillies and mares at Belmont Park.

With Irad Ortiz Jr. subbing for his suspended brother Jose, the front-running La Verdad had to turn back a midstretch challenge from the returning Willet to win the Dancin Renee by 1 3/4 lengths over a track labeled good. It was 7 3/4 lengths back to Risky Rachel in third. Clear Pasaj was last. Miss Da Point scratched.

The win was the fourth straight and ninth from 11 career starts for La Verdad, a 4-year-old daughter of Yes It’s True owned by Sheila Rosenblum.

Breaking from the rail, La Verdad broke alertly and opened up a two-length lead while running a quarter-mile in 21.99 seconds. She maintained a clear advantage through a half-mile in 44.68 and five furlongs in 56.89 before turning back Willet, who came to her in midstretch. La Verdad covered the six furlongs in 1:09.99. She returned $2.40 to win. With $246,461 wagered on La Verdad to place out of $269,070 in the pool, there was a minus-place pool of $45.873. Show wagering was not offered.

La Verdad was cutting back to her preferred distance of six furlongs after winning the one-mile Critical Eye for New York breds on May 31. Rice was hoping for an easier race than she got to set her up for the Grade 2 Honorable Miss Stakes at Saratoga on July 28.

“I did not anticipate that this race would come up quite as tough as it did with Willet and Risky Rachel in there, so it wasn’t the prep I was looking for but it’ll get us there,” Rice said.

Irad Ortiz said he got some tips from his brother, who is serving a three-day careless riding suspension.

“Jose understands the filly pretty much and he told me everything about the filly, exactly [what] I have to do and I just do it,” Irad Ortiz said. “I don’t hit her, but Jose told me when you ask her she’s going to pick it up. When I feel the other [horse], I showed her the whip like I was going to hit her. I never hit her, and she picked it up a little bit.”