La Verdad handles mile-long Critical Eye Stakes to earn win

ELMONT, N.Y. – It came as no surprise to anyone that La Verdad won Saturday’s $200,000 Critical Eye Stakes at Belmont Park. After all, the speedy filly had captured seven of her previous eight starts and had won four in a row against statebred competition.

But it was a bit of surprise that not only was the 2-5 La Verdad headed for the early lead by Princess Mara but she had to be fully extended by jockey Jose Ortiz before withstanding the improving Hot Stones to register a well-deserved half-length decision while stretching out to a mile for the first time in her career.

La Verdad broke on the lead but relinquished the advantage briefly to Princess Mara after the opening furlong. La Verdad was able to regain command approaching the turn, shook clear near the quarter pole and appeared to have things well in control as Ortiz looked back a couple of times while riding his filly with complete confidence entering the stretch. But Hot Stones had other ideas, mounting a strong rally through mid-stretch before ultimately proving no match for the winner. The two leaders separated themselves from the rest of the field, with Lady Gracenote finishing another 5 1/2 lengths farther back in third.

La Verdad, a daughter of Yes It’s True, owned by the Lady Sheila Stable, entered the restricted Critical Eye off an easy win in the Grade 2 Distaff Handicap at Aqueduct. Her lone setback in nearly 14 months was a second-place finish in the Grade 2 Barbara Fritchie Handicap earlier this winter at Laurel. Trained by Linda Rice, La Verdad covered the distance in 1:34.30 over a lightning-fast track and paid $2.80.

“I was a little surprised we were outrun for the lead, and that was my niece [Taylor Rice] on that other horse,” Linda Rice said with a smile. “I knew she had some speed, and I was a little bit concerned, but Jose had rated our filly so well in the Barbara Fritchie, she really didn’t have the lead that day either, and he was just trying to save some horse. She’s really a sprinter so it was a little stressful running her a mile. She got a challenge from the two horse [Hot Stones], so I thought it was really an impressive effort. Now I can shorten her up for her next two starts.”

Those two options would be at Saratoga later this summer – the Grade 2 Honorable Miss on July 29 and the Grade 1 Ballerina four weeks later.

“She’s a Grade 2 winner now, and if we can make her a Grade 1, that would be a great asset for her, and it’s our goal looking down the road,” said Rice.